Meta, the company that owns Facebook and Instagram, has removed two Facebook groups and three Instagram accounts related to BJP MLA T. Raja Singh. The action was taken following a report by India Hate Lab (IHL), which highlighted the spread of hate speech on social media.

IHL, a project of the Washington-based nonprofit think tank Centre for the Study of Organised Hate (CSOH), released its findings on February 10. The report detailed how social media platforms played a role in amplifying hate speech in 2024.

Facebook recently removed groups with over 1 million members, while the deleted Instagram accounts had a combined following of more than 155,000. Raja Singh, known for his provocative statements against the Muslim community, was barred from Facebook and Instagram in 2020 under Meta’s policy on "dangerous individuals and organisations."

Despite the ban, Singh and his supporters continued spreading his speeches by creating proxy groups and pages, especially during the 2024 general elections. These platforms were used to promote his events and amplify his hate-filled rhetoric.

A report by IHL highlighted the major role social media played in fuelling hate speech during political rallies, election campaigns, religious events, and nationalist gatherings. Facebook emerged as the primary platform for spreading such content, with 495 videos, while YouTube had 211.

The report recorded 266 instances of anti-minority hate speech by senior BJP leaders, most of which took place during the April-June general elections and were live-streamed across various platforms.

Of the 259 documented cases of dangerous speech, including direct calls for violence, 219 were initially shared or streamed on social media. Facebook was the most used platform, accounting for 164 incidents (74.9%), followed by YouTube with 49 (22.4%) and Instagram with six.

Raja Singh was explicitly mentioned in the report for delivering 32 hate speeches across the country. Among them, 22 contained explicit incitement to violence, primarily targeting Muslims and, in some instances, Christians. Sixteen speeches were initially uploaded to YouTube, while 13 were shared on Facebook.

Despite being outlawed on social media, Raja Singh and his supporters bypassed restrictions by setting up multiple proxy groups and pages. The Facebook groups promoting his content were Raja Singh (Bhagyanagar) MLA and Tiger Raja Singh Official Group. In addition, other Hindi-language pages and groups gained over 100,000 followers.

On Instagram, Singh’s main associated accounts were @rajasinghmla, @t.usharajasinghofficial, @t.rajabhaimla1, and @t.rajabhaimla3, which had a combined following of nearly 198,900 users.

Singh, representing the Goshamahal constituency, has been involved in several controversies. He was arrested in August 2022 for allegedly making statements that offended religious sentiments. Although the BJP suspended him, the suspension was revoked ahead of the 2023 Telangana assembly elections.