Telangana to Curb Hate Speech with New Law, Protect Minorities
Telangana to Curb Hate Speech with New Law, Protect Minorities
Telangana vows to curb hate speech with a new law, pledging minority protections, equal welfare, and steps to allocate burial grounds for Christians and Muslims.
Telangana’s Chief Minister Revanth Reddy announced that the state will soon introduce legislation to curb hate speech and penalise those who insult members of other religions. The proposed bill will be tabled in the Assembly shortly. He spoke at Christmas celebrations held in Hyderabad and reiterated the government's commitment to safeguarding minority rights and upliftment. He emphasised that rights are not mercy but their right, and the government would protect them.
Reddy pointed to Karnataka's recent passage of the country’s maiden anti-hate speech legislation, saying Telangana would follow with a similar law in the budget session. The aim is to ensure liberty to follow one’s religion and equal rights for every faith.
Addressing practical concerns, he said the government would allocate lands for graveyards for Christians and Muslims, even if some locations are a bit far from villages, and would explore NGO help for transporting the deceased to the graveyards.
He noted that attempts to provoke communal hatred had been dealt with decisively in the last two years, and vowed that the proposed law would cover hate speech and hate crimes. He also applauded missionaries for their long-standing contributions to education and healthcare, saying their services have improved life expectancy and must be recognised by any government.
While promising to tab the bill in the Assembly soon, he framed Telangana's move as part of the Telangana Rising 2047 vision—a goal to make the state number one in development and welfare.
