Uttarakhand CM Dhami Rubbishes Hate Speech Index Naming Him 'Prolific Hate Speech Actor In 2025'

Dehradun: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has rubbished a report that accused him of delivering the most number of hate speeches among the Indian politicos, saying he had never spoken with hatred with anyone and wondered how one can brand his speech as "hateful".

His rebuttal came while he was addressing an event in Dehradun on Tuesday to mark the first year of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) legislated by his government.

The report prepared by a Washington-based think tank includes the names of several Indian leaders, with Dhami being termed as "the most prolific hate speech actor in 2025, delivering 71 hate speeches both within his home state of Uttarakhand and across multiple other states".

Responding to the report, Dhami said, "There's an organisation in America. I don't know much about it, but I heard they ranked me number one for hate speech. I've never hated anyone, so how can speech be hateful?"

He went on to state, "I was told that I speak out against encroachment and 'jihad'. I have stated that we will not compromise on Uttarakhand's culture and religious beliefs. We will not allow the environment here to change. How can talking about Uttarakhand's religious demographics be considered hate speech? Is raising your voice to protect the original form of the Land of Gods considered hate speech? If it is hate speech, give us the first place.”

While there are questions as to why the Chief Minister of a state like Uttarakhand felt the need to make such aggressive statements, some feel the government need not react, and some want the state to pause and act, considering what it wants to leave for its posterity. Political observer Adesh Tyagi claimed, "The government should issue a rebuttal or ponder over it because we are a state bordering two states and two countries. The people of Uttarakhand are very simple and truthful. If the language of politics here changes in future, it is not good."

Another observer, Narendra Sethi, said it is totally up to the Chief Minister to decide what he will speak for the welfare of the state and its people. "If the Chief Minister says he will continue to talk about religion, and if foreign NGOs consider talking about religion and faith, as well as the state's interests, to be hate speech, then so be it. If they want to target someone and they feel what that target says constitutes hate speech, then let it be. I believe this is the Chief Minister’s way of working, and we cannot call it wrong."

Sunil Dutt Pandey, a political analyst tracking the politics of Uttarakhand over the last 25 years, said, "Dhami is the future of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He has already established himself. His statements get their due importance.”

BJP’s state unit chief Mahendra Bhatt called the report a ploy by some people to target one person. "Anything said by any outside organisation cannot be considered correct. This is nothing but a ploy of some people. Every religion is respected here. Even if some foreign power is doing this, the people of Uttarakhand and India know everything," he said.

Dhami supporters claim that his name at the top of the list comes as a rude shock since politics in Uttarakhand revolves around public-centric developmental issues.

The Centre for the Study of Organised Hate (CSOH) describes itself as a non-profit and non-partisan think tank whose mission is to understand, report on and provide comprehensive recommendations to combat organised hate based on religion, caste, race, nationality, gender or any other identity. The report brought out as part of its project called ‘The India Hate Lab’, which conducted an in-depth study of speeches delivered on public platforms, rallies, religious events, political gatherings and videos circulated on social media in India, it said.

According to the report, there were 1,318 hate speech events recorded in the country during 2025. The report claims that this number is 13% higher than in 2024 and nearly 97% higher than in 2023. The report indicates that the language of public discourse in India has become increasingly aggressive, divisive and provocative over the last few years.

The report states that the CSOH has relied on the United Nations framework for defining a statement as hate speech. According to this, “Any speech, writing, or public conduct that targets, insults, or promotes discrimination, hostility, or violence against an individual or group based on their religion, caste, race, nationality, ethnic identity, gender or any other identity is considered hate speech.”

The report also highlighted the role of social media in amplifying hate speeches and that 1,278 videos of the speeches were shared or livestreamed on social media. Facebook was the largest platform with 942 videos uploaded. It was followed by platforms like YouTube, Instagram and X.

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