BRS MLC Sravan Kumar urges Rahul Gandhi to oppose Telangana Hate Speech Bill

BRS MLC Dasoju Sravan Kumar urged Rahul Gandhi to intervene against Telangana’s proposed Hate Speech Bill, alleging it threatens free speech and dissent. He called the Bill draconian and warned of misuse, citing constitutional and legal concerns.

Hyderabad: BRS MLC Dasoju Sravan Kumar urged Congress Lok Sabha leader Rahul Gandhi to intervene against the proposed Telangana Hate Speech and Hate Crimes (Prevention) Bill, 2026, which is allegedly aimed to curtail democratic dissent and freedom of expression. He urged the Congress leader to direct the Telangana government to withdraw the Bill in its entirety.

In a detailed letter to the Lok Sabha Opposition Leader, Sravan stated that the Bill contradicted Rahul Gandhi’s public advocacy of dialogue, discussion, debate and dissent. He cautioned that the Revanth Reddy government’s actions were violating the Congress leader’s “Mohabbat ki Dukaan” narrative. He termed the legislation draconian, alleging that it uses vague definitions such as disharmony and ill-will, which could enable arbitrary action.

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“Who decides what ‘ill-will’ is? This is thought-policing,” he said, warning that making such offences cognisable and non-bailable would turn process into punishment, where a simple WhatsApp forward could land a student or journalist in jail.

The MLA also raised concerns about provisions allowing a government-appointed officer to block digital content without notice, hearing or appeal, calling it digital authoritarianism. He argued that the Bill violates constitutional guarantees under Articles 14, 19, and 21, and cited Supreme Court rulings including Shreya Singhal (2015), Maneka Gandhi (1978), and Anuradha Bhasin (2020) to emphasise concerns over free speech and due process.

Sravan Kumar criticised Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, alleging a pattern of intimidation and unparliamentary language in governance. He also pointed out that even Congress ally CPI had opposed the Bill in the Assembly, calling it a death warrant for democracy. “Where is that same conviction now?” he asked, recalling Rahul Gandhi’s previous stance against a controversial ordinance.