India, Nov. 8 -- Defending Karnataka's proposed Misinformation Regulation Bill, state IT minister Priyank Kharge on Friday said the draft was not an attempt to criminalise free speech or penalise citizens, but a framework to tackle "growing digital misinformation" and "malicious fake news." He stressed that the Bill will exclude "satire, parody, opinion, art, and dissent," ensuring "humour and creativity" are not curtailed.

"Our focus is strictly on misinformation, disinformation, malinformation, and fake news. Nothing beyond that. The Bill is in no way an attempt to silence dissent or critiques of the government," Kharge said.

The minister also dismissed concerns of overreach, and said the Bill will not create any new laws but will mer...