Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy on Saturday announced that his government plans to introduce a bill to curb hate speech in the state.
“We will soon bring legislation in the Assembly on hate speech,”
CM Reddy said at Christmas celebrations organised by the Telangana government in Hyderabad, according to news agency PTI.
Earlier this week, the Congress-led government in Karnataka passed the Hate Speech and Hate Crimes (Prevention) Bill. The Siddaramaiah-led cabinet cleared the legislation on December 4, and it was passed by the Assembly on December 18 amid strong opposition protests. The law has a provision of a fine up to Rs 1 lakh and imprisonment up to seven years.
Opposition Criticises Bill In Karnataka
Introducing the Bill in the Karnataka Assembly, Home Minister G Parameshwara had said the legislation was necessary due to a sharp increase in statements that undermine social harmony and could lead to serious consequences. He warned that inflammatory remarks have the potential to trigger violence and unrest, citing instances of murders, assaults and rising social tensions linked to hate speech.
Parameshwara further said the growing frequency of such statements posed unpredictable dangers to society, making legal intervention essential to curb hate speech and associated crimes.
However, the Bill has faced criticism from the Opposition. Karnataka Leader of the Opposition R Ashok opposed the legislation, describing it as an attack on freedom of expression. He questioned the need for such a law 75 years after Independence and alleged that it could be misused to target individuals. Ashok also claimed the Bill does not provide for bail in certain cases and warned that journalists could face imprisonment under its provisions.
