Belagavi, Dec. 18 -- In a move that has stirred political debate and public discourse, the Karnataka Legislative Assembly on Thursday passed the Hate Speech and Hate Crimes Prevention Bill, 2025, aimed at preventing offences that incite communal disharmony or target individuals on the basis of religion, caste, or community.
While the Congress-led government describes it as a forward-looking step to promote social harmony, the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has criticised the legislation as an overreach with potential for misuse, framing it as an "emergency in a new avatar."Congress leaders defended the legislation, emphasising that it intends to promote communal harmony and responsible public discourse rather than target any polit...