Telangana to Enact Law Against Hate Speech, Says CM Revanth Reddy

Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Saturday said the state government would soon enact a separate legislation to curb hate speech , stating that the move was aimed at protecting religious freedom and ensuring equal rights for all communities.

Speaking at the Christmas celebrations organised by the Telangana government in Hyderabad, Reddy said the proposed law would be introduced in the Budget Session of the State Assembly .

“We will soon bring in legislation on hate speech in the Assembly. The Telangana government will ensure liberty to follow one’s religion and equal rights for every religion through this law,” the Chief Minister said.

Referring to neighbouring Karnataka, Reddy said the Congress-led government there has introduced a bill to punish hate speech against other religions , and Telangana was also considering a similar approach. However, he did not share details of the proposed legislation or penalties.

The Chief Minister said that development and welfare measures for Christians, Muslims and other minority communities are not acts of charity but constitutional rights. “We are here to protect your rights. If your rights are hurt anywhere, our government is ready to correct it,” he said.

Reddy also addressed long-pending civic issues faced by Christian and Muslim communities, particularly the shortage of burial grounds. He said the government had noted that land was often unavailable near villages, and therefore government land slightly away from habitations would be allocated for burial and graveyard purposes.

“It is the government’s responsibility to allocate land for burial grounds when housing is provided as part of welfare measures,” he said, adding that steps would be taken to ensure land allocation for both Christians and Muslims.

The Chief Minister said the government would also arrange vehicles to transport bodies to burial grounds or encourage voluntary organisations to assist families in need.

On the occasion, Reddy praised Christian missionaries for their contribution to education, noting that many institutions established decades ago continue to serve society.

He said the government would work in the spirit of Christmas to promote love, harmony and social unity, and reiterated his vision of making Telangana a leading state in the country through the ‘ TelanganaRising ’ model.