KT Rama Rao slams hate speech bill as draconian

Over 250 women participate in Hyderabad Runners’ Women’s Special RunBRS working president KT Rama Rao condemned the Telangana Hate Speech and Hate Crimes (Prevention) Bill introduced by the Congress government in the Assembly on Monday, terming it a draconian tool to curb free speech and target dissent. 

He raised serious constitutional, democratic and civil liberties concerns if the Bill becomes law.

“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,” he observed.

In a statement, Rama Rao argued that instead of protecting public order, the Bill risks becoming an instrument for selective action against opposition leaders, journalists and citizens critical of the government. 

He pointed out that the Bill defines hate speech using sweeping terms such as “promoting ill-will”, “distorting harmony” and “spreading false information”, which are subjective and lack clear legal boundaries.