Karnataka tables bill to curb hate speech and hate crimes

The Karnataka government has introduced the Hate Speech and Hate Crime (Prevention) Bill, defining broad categories of hate speech and prescribing penalties of up to 10 years’ imprisonment and fines of up to Rs one lakh for repeated offences

Belagavi (Karnataka): The Karnataka government on Wednesday tabled the Karnataka Hate Speech and Hate Crime (Prevention) Bill in the State Assembly. The bill has a provision for a fine of up to Rs one lakh and a jail term of up to 10 years. The bill was cleared by the State cabinet on December 4.

According to the bill, any expression, which is made, published or circulated in words either spoken or written or by signs or by visible representations or through electronic communication or otherwise, in public view, with an intention to cause injury, disharmony or feelings of enmity or hatred or ill-will against person alive or dead, class or group of persons or community, to meet any prejudicial interest is hate speech.

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Any biases on the grounds of religion, race, caste or community, sex, gender, sexual orientation, place of birth, residence, language, disability, or tribe have also been categorised as hate speech.

The ‘Hate Crime’ has been defined as communication of hate speech, by making, publishing, or circulating, or any act of promoting, propagating, inciting, or abetting, or attempting, such hate speech, to cause disharmony or feelings of enmity or hatred or ill-will against any person, dead or alive, or group of persons or organisation.

Communicating hate speech has been defined as an expression, made in public view, by way of verbal, print, publication, electronic means, or other means to convey such expression. Whoever commits a hate crime will be punished with imprisonment for a term which should not be less than one year, but may extend to seven years, with a fine of Rs 50,000.

Further, for any subsequent or repetitive offences, the punishment should not be less than two years, which may extend to 10 years with a fine of Rs one lakh.