ISLAMABAD: Islamophobia and hate speech against minorities have seen a sharp increase in Kerala, India, Maktoob Media reported on Monday.
Citing data compiled by the Islamophobia Research Collective (IRC), the report said at least 909 incidents of Islamophobia, including hate speech, discriminatory actions and prejudicial campaigns were documented in the state between Jan. 2025 and March 2026.
Of these, 659 incidents were recorded in 2025, while 250 more were reported in the first three months of 2026 alone, showing a sharp increase in Islamophobia.
The reports by Maktoob Media and Madhyamam News said the incidents were not limited to isolated remarks.
Instead, the documentation described a broader pattern of inflammatory rhetoric, discriminatory mobilization and coordinated prejudicial campaigns targeting Muslim leaders, organizations, religious symbols and places.
Madhyamam said the findings pointed to an “unprecedented rise” in hate speech aimed at Muslims in Kerala.
Among those named in the documentation, right wing party, SNDP Yogam’s general secretary Vellappally Natesan was said to have topped the list with at least 60 hate speeches in 2025.
Political commentator Adv A Jayashankar and BJP leader PC George were also listed among those with more than 50 instances each.
Maktoob further reported that members of the ruling Left, including ministers and MLAs from the Left Democratic Front(LDF), were also cited in the documentation, indicating that the problem cuts across political lines.
A major part of the criticism concerns police inaction.
According to both reports, IRC member Baburaj Bhagavathy said many complaints were either never filed or did not lead to meaningful police action even when submitted.
Bhagavaty said this was especially troubling because the Supreme Court has directed authorities to take suo motu cognizance of hate speech, yet many such cases in Kerala allegedly saw no action.
The complainants have been facing difficulties themselves, reportedly.
Raihanath Kappan, the wife of Kerala-based journalist Siddique Kappan, who was arrested while attempting to cover the Hathras rape case in 2020, said multiple complaints she filed over alleged hate propaganda on YouTube were not registered.
Another case involved writer KR Indira, whose past anti-Muslim remarks had drawn complaints, but where follow-p action was allegedly weak.
Maktoob also said activist Usman Kattappana, who criticised those remarks, was himself booked by police.
With Kerala already in election mode ahead of April 9 polling, Bhagavathy warned that Islamophobic campaigns could see a spike during the campaign period.
That has raised fresh concerns about communal rhetoric and weak enforcement in a state often seen as more socially progressive than much of India.
