Telangana hate speech bill sent to select committee after opposition

The Telangana Assembly referred the Hate Speech and Hate Crimes Bill, 2026 to a select Committee after objections from BJP, AIMIM and CPI members. The government said the law aims to address emerging challenges while ensuring protection and redress for victims

Hyderabad: The Telangana Assembly on Monday referred the Telangana Hate Speech and Hate Crimes (Prevention) Bill, 2026 to a select Committee following objections and suggestions from members across party lines. The Bill was introduced by Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar on behalf of Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy.

Explaining the rationale, the Minister said the existing legal framework does not adequately address the evolving nature of hate speech and hate crimes, necessitating a comprehensive law to prevent, regulate and penalise such offences while ensuring protection and redress for victims.

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BJP Floor Leader A Maheswar Reddy opposed the Bill, stating that it posed a threat to freedom of speech and lacked clear definitions of hate speech and hate crimes. “This Bill is a death warrant for freedom of speech. It also prevents questioning of government failures. We demand that it be referred to a select Committee for amendments,” he said.

AIMIM MLA Ahmed Bin Balala supported the intent of the Bill but pointed out certain shortcomings. He said propagation of religion should not be misconstrued as hate speech and suggested that the Bill be sent to a select Committee for wider consultations.

CPI MLA Kunamneni Sambasiva Rao opposed the Bill and demanded its withdrawal, questioning provisions that could hold an entire political party accountable for statements made by individual members. “Is it fair to book an entire party for the remarks of one leader?” he asked.

Khairatabad MLA Danam Nagender highlighted the misuse of social media, stating that objectionable comments are often made under the guise of freedom of speech. “It is not wise to withdraw the Bill, but certain changes are necessary,” he said. Congress MLAs, including Veerlapally Shankar, Sri Ganesh and K R Nagaraju, emphasised the need to pass the legislation.

Taking into account the views expressed by members, the Minister moved a motion to refer the Bill to a select Committee for detailed examination, which was approved by the House. Earlier, the Assembly passed the Telangana Value Added Tax (Amendment) Bill, introduced by Excise Minister Jupally Krishna Rao.