Platforms such as Facebook and X are still awash with misrepresented footage of the attacks that killed at least 60 people and sent thousands fleeing. AFP fact-checkers have debunked many of the clips, which actually show the Israeli-Palestinian conflict or the war in Ukraine.
A report from the US-based India Hate Lab documented 64 in-person hate speech events between April 22 and May 2. Most were filmed and later shared on social media.
“There is a cyclical relationship between offline hate speech and the rise of harmful online content,” said Raqib Hameed Naik, executive director of the Center for the Study of Organized Hate.
He said the Pahalgam attack sparked in India a “significant surge in rallies where far-right leaders weaponised the tragedy to incite hate and violence against Muslim Indians and Kashmiris.”