Hyderabad, March 30 (IANS) Telangana’s Hate Speech and Hate Crimes (Prevention) Bill, 2026, was referred to a Select Committee of the State Legislative Assembly for detailed scrutiny after members expressed concerns over certain provisions and potential misuse.​

Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar, who piloted the Bill, moved a motion to refer the Bill to a Select Committee. R. Prakash Reddy, who was in the chair, announced the passing of the motion by a voice vote.​

The Bill, earlier tabled in the House by the government, proposes 1-7 years’ jail and a Ra 50,000 fine for hate crimes, with repeat offenders facing up to 10 years in prison.​

Members, cutting across party lines, expressed apprehensions about the possible misuse of certain provisions of the Bill.​

Earlier, Minister Ponnam Prabhakar introduced the Bill to curb hate speech on social media. He told the House that the government considered the legislation necessary to curb and prevent the dissemination, publication or promotion of hate speech and hate crimes that incited disharmony or hatred in society against a person, group of persons or organisations.​

The minister said the Bill would provide for stringent and deterrent punishment for the commission of such offences and ensure adequate compensation to victims affected.​

However, the clauses, including the one that insulates officials from the purview of action, evoked strong opposition from the BJP and the CPI. They expressed apprehension that the law might be misused to take vindictive steps against individuals or organisations.​

The opposition BJP and the ruling Congress party’s ally, the CPI, wanted the government to either withdraw the Bill or refer it to a Select Committee. Some members of the ruling party also suggested that the Bill be referred to the Select Committee for detailed study of its provisions.​

As the main opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) members remained suspended from the House for the second day on Monday, the party’s stand was spelt out by party working president and MLA K. T. Rama Rao on the social media platform ‘X’.​

“The Telangana Hate Speech and Hate Crimes (Prevention) Bill 2026, being advanced by the Congress government, is a draconian tool to curb free speech. While preventing genuine hate speech and maintaining social harmony is an important responsibility of any government, the present bill’s framework appears dangerously broad, vague, and open to misuse,” the former minister wrote.​

“Instead of protecting public order, the bill risks becoming an instrument for the selective targeting of opposition leaders, critics, journalists, social media activists, and ordinary citizens expressing dissent. Our country already has several legal provisions dealing with hate speech, incitement to violence, defamation, and public disorder. Instead of strengthening the implementation of existing laws, the Telangana Congress government appears to be introducing a parallel framework that expands executive discretion without adding safeguards. I demand that the state government immediately withdraw this draconian bill,” he added.​

–IANS

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