Will table bill on hate speech in upcoming Assembly session: CM Revanth

Hyderabad: Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy announced that the state government will introduce a bill on hate speech in the upcoming Assembly session.

Speaking at a consultative meeting organized by Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind on Thursday, the chief minister emphasized that stringent laws are essential to maintain the "peace and tranquility" of the state.

The Chief Minister’s address was marked by a direct political challenge to Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Referring to the ongoing debate over the 4% Muslim reservation, Reddy dared the BJP leadership to attempt to cancel the quota or "come to power in Telangana" to do so.

Key Highlights of the CM's Address:

Anti-Hate Speech Legislation: Inspired by recent legislative moves in Karnataka, the proposed act will penalize individuals who insult religions or communities, aiming to protect social harmony.

Reservation Defense: The CM reaffirmed the government’s commitment to the 4% reservation for Muslims, originally introduced during the tenure of YS Rajasekhara Reddy.

Caste Census Data: Reddy stated the government is ready to submit detailed Muslim population data—recently collected during the state's caste census—to the Supreme Court to defend the quota.

Political Allegations: He accused the BRS of being a "B-team" that helped the BJP increase its vote share in the recent Lok Sabha elections.

Call for Representation: Appealing for minority unity, the CM urged the community to support Muslim candidates in the upcoming municipal elections.

Hate speech and communal tensions

The proposed legislation comes against a backdrop of increasing political and communal polarization in the state. While Hyderabad has a long history of communal harmony, "hate speech" as a political tool has evolved through several phases:

1. Historical Roots (Pre-1948) The origin of communal rhetoric in the region traces back to the era of the Razakars, a paramilitary wing of the MIM led by Qasim Razvi during the Nizam's rule. Their inflammatory speeches against the Indian Union and the Hindu majority were central to the unrest preceding Operation Polo in 1948.

2. The Rise of Modern Inflammatory Rhetoric In the late 2000s and 2010s, hate speech became synonymous with specific political figures.

Akbaruddin Owaisi (AIMIM): In 2012, he was arrested for a controversial speech in Nirmal that was widely condemned as inciting communal hatred. This incident set a precedent for legal action against political hate speech in the state.

T. Raja Singh (BJP): Over the last decade, the Goshamahal MLA has faced dozens of cases for speeches targeting minority communities. His 2022 comments regarding Prophet Muhammad led to his arrest under the Preventive Detention (PD) Act, sparking massive protests in Hyderabad.

The Current Surge (2023–2026) Recent data from 2024–2025 indicates a 74% increase in verified hate speech events across India, with Telangana seeing frequent "war of words" during election cycles.

Why a legal framework?

The Congress government argues that the current legal framework (Section 153A of the IPC, now under BNS) is insufficient to deter repeat offenders, necessitating a state-specific law similar to the Karnataka Hate Speech and Hate Crimes (Prevention) Bill, 2025.

The 2024 Caste Census revealed that Muslims comprise 12.56% of Telangana's population.

The BJP has consistently termed the 4% reservation "unconstitutional" and "religion-based," while the Congress maintains it is based on social and educational backwardness, supported by the empirical data of the new census.

With constant attempts to create communal tensions in the state, the Congress government finds that this will help to control, as 'hate speech' is now a political tool in India.