The Campaign Against Hate Speech (CAHS) has raised concerns about the various aspects of The Karnataka Hate Speech and Hate Crimes (Prevention) Bill 2025, calling for wider public consultations before the proposed legislation is passed by the Assembly and the Council.
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In a letter to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Home Minister G Parameshwara, IT/BT minister Priyank Kharge, and Law and Parliamentary Affairs minister H K Patil, CAHS has flagged six key issues pertaining to the Bill. It has also sought amendments to the proposed legislation to “squarely address the concerns and strengthen the law to curb hate speech.”
The Bill falsely equates hate speech and hate crime, the letter said, noting that the definition of “hate crime” excludes a range of hate crimes which lead to bodily and psychological harm apart from the harm to democracy. “This legislation does not see a hate speech that ‘calls for a mob lynching’ any different from committing the actual crime of ‘mob lynching’. It also does not recognise hate crimes of punitive demolitions, social and economic boycotts,” the letter said.
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The definition of “hate speech” is vague and emotion-based, and there was no separate punishment for the act, it said, adding that there was no clarity on the one-to-seven-year imprisonment range for the offences committed. Highlighting Section 4 of the Bill, which provides for “preventive action to be taken by the law-and-order machinery”, CAHS said the section delegated excessive power to the executive, which was likely to allow for arbitrary state action.
On the power to censor on the “mere accusation of Hate Crime material”, the civil society group argued that this would empower the executive “to censor without the accused being afforded the opportunity to explain his intention and statement.”
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While the Bill has the potential to address the endemic of hate, “it also has the potential for restricting the fundamental right to freedom of speech and expression under Article 19 (1)(a). Considering that the proposed law is in the domain of regulating speech and has criminal consequences, we urge the State to engage with the public in the broadest possible manner before passing such a law,” the group urged the government.
JD(S) youth wing president Nikhil Kumaraswamy said Friday that the Bill amounted to “murder of democracy”, and the regional party would also mount a legal battle over the issue.
The Congress government, he said, was out to rob the freedom of speech and expression guaranteed by the Constitution. “With the proposed Bill, the government wants to suppress opposition parties and journalists,” he alleged.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has also opposed the Bill, and said Thursday that it would mount a legal battle against it, as it curtails freedom of speech and liberty. The party is expected to express its reservation when the proposed legislation is taken up for discussion next week.