KTR terms Hate Speech Bill a draconian tool to curb free speech, to harass opponents

HYDERABAD

The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) termed the Telangana Hate Speech and Hate Crimes (Prevention) Bill introduced in the Assembly as a draconian tool to curb free speech and to harass political opponents.

In a statement, working president of the party K.T. Rama Rao said on Monday that the Bill was raising serious concerns over the constitutional, democratic and civil liberties rights and if it becomes law it would be a clear violation of the Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution.

Condemning the Bill, he said “while preventing genuine hate speech and maintaining social harmony is an important responsibility of any government, the present framework appears dangerously broad, vague and open to misuse.”

Instead of protecting public order, the Bill risks becoming an instrument for the selective targeting of opposition leaders, critics, journalists and ordinary citizens expressing dissent, he noted. “The Bill defines hate speech using sweeping expressions such as ‘promoting ill-will,’ ‘distorting harmony’ and ‘spreading false information’,” he added.

Such phrases were subjective and would lack clear legal boundaries, Mr. Rama Rao said and added that without precise definitions, enforcement would become dependent on interpretation rather than evidence. It would create a serious risk of criticism of government decisions labelled as ‘disharmony’ or ‘fake news’, thereby criminalising democratic expression.

He highlighted how the Bill was contradicting the Supreme Court judgments which held that only speech directly inciting violence or public disorder could be restricted and mere criticism, advocacy, satire or disagreement could not be punished.

One of the most worrying aspects of the proposed framework was the possibility of executive authorities deciding what constitutes ‘fake news’. Allowing the government to determine the truth about matters concerning itself would undermine democratic accountability. He appealed to the government to reconsider the Bill.