During a pre-Christmas event on Dec. 21 in Hyderabad, India, Telangana’s Chief Minister Revanth Reddy said the government would soon propose a law to curb hate speech.

While speaking about religious intolerance, Reddy referred to the Karnataka Hate Speech and Hate Crimes (Prevention) Bill recently passed in the neighboring state. He added that the Congress party-led government in Telangana has worked to create an atmosphere where people can practice their religion of choice while respecting others’ faith.

The Congress, also known as the Indian National Congress, is a moderate political party that holds power in the two southern states of Telangana and Karnataka. It stands in contrast to the Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which holds power at the national level and in most of India’s northern states.

The BJP had previously criticized the hate speech law promulgated by the Congress party in Karnataka, saying it is trying to impose an undeclared state emergency.

“Any crimes based on religion are being dealt with strictly,” Reddy said. “We will soon introduce a law against hate speech, similar to the one brought in by Karnataka Congress, which has legal provisions to punish offenders who speak in a way that insults other religions.”

During his speech, Reddy acknowledged the contributions of Christian missionaries, who provided education and health services to the poor in India. He stressed that any state welfare provided to religious minorities, whether Christians or Muslims, is a matter of their right and not a handout.

It may be noted that the Congress government in Karnataka had passed the Karnataka Hate Speech and Hate Crimes (Prevention) Bill, 2025, amid strong opposition from the BJP on Dec. 18.

The bill proposes punishment of up to seven years and a fine of up to $558 for hate crimes, and extended punishment and a $1,116 fine for repeat offences.

The bill also empowers the state government to order the removal of hate speech content from media platforms. It covers communication made in public view, whether verbal, print, or electronic.

Hate speech and violence against Christians in India have been consistently documented by human rights organizations, with a significant spike in recent years, most notably after the BJP, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, came to power in 2014.

These incidents often involve vigilante mobs, disruptions of religious gatherings, vandalism, and the use of anti-conversion laws to harass the community, and also hate speeches by noted political figures in public forums.

Data compiled by groups like the United Christian Forum (UCF) and the Evangelical Fellowship of India (EFI) shows a sharp rise in attacks, with UCF reporting 834 incidents in 2024, up from 147 in 2014.

The incidents include physical assaults, sexual violence, destruction of churches and educational institutions, social boycotts, and denial of burial rights.

The violence is frequently linked to Hindu nationalist organizations, such as the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), Bajrang Dal, and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), which are part of the broader Sangh Parivar movement, the ideological mentor of the BJP.

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