The Congress government in Telangana on Sunday, March 29, took a significant step by introducing the “Telangana Hate Speech and Hate Crimes (Prevention) Bill, 2026” in the Legislative Assembly. If passed, the state will become the second in India after Karnataka to enact dedicated legislation targeting hate speech and hate crimes.
Legislative Affairs Minister D Sridhar Babu moved the Bill on behalf of Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy. The proposed law seeks to address gaps in existing legal provisions, which the government says are inadequate to tackle the evolving nature of hate speech and related offences that often incite riots and social conflicts.
Under the Bill, anyone committing a hate crime faces imprisonment of one to seven years along with a fine of ₹50,000. Repeat offenders will attract stricter punishment — imprisonment from two to ten years and a fine of up to ₹1 lakh. All offences under this legislation are non-bailable, signalling the government’s firm stance against such acts.
The Telangana Cabinet had approved the Bill on March 23, emphasising the need for robust measures to prevent, regulate, and penalise conduct that threatens social harmony while providing protection and redress to victims.
In a parallel development, the government also introduced the Telangana Platform-Based Gig Workers (Registration, Social Security and Welfare) Act, 2026. This legislation aims to benefit around 4.2 lakh gig workers in the state by providing legal recognition, social security benefits, and protection of rights.
Key provisions include mandatory worker registration, establishment of a dedicated welfare board, and creation of a welfare fund. The Bill has been slightly revised to align with the Centre’s recent Social Security Code.
These two Bills reflect the Telangana government’s focus on both maintaining social harmony and ensuring welfare for the growing gig economy workforce. — With Agencies Inputs
This story was originally published in muslimmirror.com.