Bengaluru, Dec. 19 -- Karnataka Legislative Council on Friday passed the Hate Speech and Hate Crimes Prevention Bill, 2025, amid ruckus in the upper house of the state legislature as both Congress MLAs and the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party MLAs engaged in a heated argument.

Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara said the proposed legislation was not driven by political vendetta but was aimed at curbing hate speech and hate crimes, whereas BJP MLC CT Ravi attacked the Congress, claiming that the party would not win if elections were held in the state today.

Opposition members stormed the well of the House and staged a protest. Amid continued uproar and sloganeering from the opposition, Council Chairperson Basavaraj Horatti went ahead...