Showcasing the growing trend of hate speeches among the representatives of people, a report has shockingly revealed that about hundred sitting MPs and MLAs in the country have hate speech cases against them. Of these hundred representatives, nearly 40 per cent belong to the central-ruling BJP regime. The findings were based on the affidavits filed by them.  

The Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR) and National Election Watch (NEW) had jointly compiled the report after analysing the self-sworn affidavits of all sitting MPs and MLAs. According to the report, 33 of the total 763 sitting MPs and 74 of the total 4,005 sitting MLAs have declared cases of hate speech against them, based on their affidavits. 

As per the report, the BJP tops the table with the most number of MPs and MLAs with the cases of hate speech. Of the sitting 33 MPs who are facing hate speech cases, 22 are from the BJP. Following the BJP, Congress has two MPs facing hate speech cases, one each from the Aam Aadmi Party, DMK, MDMK, PMK, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray), VCK, AIMIM, and one independent MP. 

On the berth of 74 MLAs who have cases of hate speech, BJP again tops the table with 20 MLAs from the saffron party, followed by 13 MLAs from Congress, six from Aam Aadmi Party, five each from the Samajwadi Party and YSR Congress, four each from the DMK and the RJD, three each from the Trinamool Congress and Shiv Sena, two from AIUDF, and one each from the AIMIM, CPI(M), NCP, TDP, BRS, Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party, and Tipra Motha Party. 

Two independent MLAs also share the club with the legislators facing hate speech cases. On the front of which state has more MPs with hate speech cases, BJP again tops the table as the BJP-ruling Uttar Pradesh has seven sitting MPs facing hate speech cases, followed by four MPs from Tamil Nadu, three each from Bihar, Karnataka, and Telangana. 

Assam, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and West Bengal have reported two MPs each with hate speech cases while Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Odisha, and Punjab have one MP each. Of the 74 MLAs who face hate speech cases, nine are from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, followed by six MLAs each from Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Telangana, five each from Assam and Tamil Nadu. 

Delhi, Gujarat, and West Bengal have four MLAs each followed by three each from Jharkhand and Uttarakhand. Two MLAs each from Karnataka, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Tripura have declared cases related to hate speech along with one MLA each from Madhya Pradesh and Odisha. According to the report, a total of 480 candidates, in the last five years, with declared cases of hate speech have contested elections for Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, and the state assemblies.