Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah
New Delhi: The Centre has expressed reservations over Karnataka’s proposed hate speech and hate crime prevention law, with the Union Home Ministry informing the state government that current criminal laws are already sufficient to deal with such offences.
The proposed legislation, which was introduced by the Karnataka government to tackle hate speech and communal offences, had earlier triggered major political controversy due to its stringent punishment clauses and alleged impact on freedom of expression.
Sources said the Ministry of Home Affairs, led by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, conveyed its views to the Karnataka government after the bill was referred for Presidential consideration.
The legislation had proposed jail terms ranging from one year to seven years for hate speech and hate crime offences, along with fines up to ₹50,000. It also proposed stricter punishment for repeat offenders, including imprisonment up to seven years and fines up to ₹1 lakh.
The bill reached the Centre after Karnataka Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot declined to give assent to the legislation in February and forwarded it for the approval of President Droupadi Murmu.
In its response dated May 12, the Home Ministry reportedly stated that provisions dealing with hate speech, communal offences and related crimes are already available under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and several other central laws. The ministry further observed that introducing separate state laws on the same subject could create legal overlap and inconsistencies in implementation across states.
The Karnataka Assembly had passed the bill in December 2025 in a hurried manner, leading to protests from the BJP opposition. Legislators from the Bharatiya Janata Party had walked out of the Assembly after accusing the government of refusing detailed debate on the legislation.
Assembly Speaker U. T. Khader had rejected demands from opposition members to refer the bill to a House committee for wider scrutiny.
Governor Gehlot had earlier raised objections to the bill, warning that certain provisions could have serious implications for democratic discussions and constitutional rights.
The Centre’s latest stand is expected to become a fresh flashpoint between the Karnataka government and the BJP, which has consistently alleged that the proposed law could be misused to suppress dissent and target political opponents under the guise of controlling hate speech.
This post was last modified on May 26, 2026 7:05 pm