Telangana Hate Speech Bill should be implemented without any bias: BRS leader Ravula Sridhar Reddy

The Telangana Cabinet has approved the Hate Speech and Hate Crime Prevention Bill, 2026. The proposed legislation seeks to address the growing concern over divisive content and speeches that disrupt communal harmony.

Ravula Sridhar Reddy told ANI, "The Telangana Congress government has introduced a bill against hate speeches, but questions remain about whether it will be applied fairly. Across the country, while Rahul Gandhi talks about 'Mohabbat ki Dukan', their (Congress') friends are known for these kinds of speeches. We demand that the Bill should be implemented without any bias."

Vishva Hindu Raksha Parishad leader Yamuna Pathak also welcomed the legislation, while demanding that the Congress government for "impartial enforcement, free from appeasement politics."

Yamuna Pathak said, "We welcome the government's Hate Speech and Hate Crime Prevention Bill to safeguard communal harmony in Telangana. The real test will be impartial enforcement, free from appeasement politics, as selective application risks eroding public trust. People expect a secular administration where accountability is equal, and the Constitution stands above politics."

She also welcomed the Parent Support Bill and said, "We also fully support the Parent Support Bill -- a compassionate step that ensures financial protection for neglected elderly parents, turning moral duty into accountable governance. It strengthens family values while safeguarding dignity and care for senior citizens."

The Cabinet cleared a Parents Support Bill that seeks to enforce accountability among individuals toward elderly parents. The provision mandates that public representatives and employees--across government and private sectors--who fail to care for their parents may face a salary deduction of 15 per cent or up to Rs 10,000, whichever is lower, with the amount to be transferred directly to the parents. The measure introduces a legal mechanism into what has traditionally been considered a moral and familial responsibility.

The Telangana State Cabinet has approved a series of wide-ranging legislative and policy measures that reflect a calibrated push toward social regulation, welfare expansion, and institutional accountability. (ANI)