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K’taka Guv keeps hate speech bill on hold, approves 7 others
Karnataka's hate speech law awaits Governor's approval 21 days after being sent, while other bills have been assented. Concerns over its definitions persist.
Bengaluru: The proposed Karnataka law aimed at curbing hate speech and hate crimes in Karnataka is still pending with the Governor, 21 days after it was sent to him.
To be sure, there is nothing inordinate about this timeline, but he has assented to several other laws passed along with this one during the state legislature’s winter session .
Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot gave his assent to several Bills adopted during the Belagavi session, paving the way for their notification in the official gazette. The Karnataka Hate Speech and Hate Crimes (Prevention and Control) Bill, however, is yet to receive approval, leaving one of the government’s most debated initiatives in limbo.
As of Thursday evening, the Governor had neither sought clarifications nor returned the hate speech Bill, according to an official of the governor’s office.
Passed by the assembly in December, the proposed law would make Karnataka the first state in India to enact a standalone statute addressing hate speech and hate crimes. The bill defines hate speech as any expression -- spoken, written, symbolic or transmitted electronically -- made in public with the intent to cause injury, disharmony, or feelings of enmity, hatred or ill will against an individual, group or community, including references to deceased persons, if such expression serves what it terms a “prejudicial interest.”
The legislation triggered a debate during its passage, with Opposition parties and free speech advocates arguing that its definitions were excessively broad and that its takedown provisions could be misused.
A senior Cabinet minister said on Thursday that the government was uncertain why the Governor had not acted on the Bill. “So far, we have not received any clarifications from the Governor’s office, and we are hopeful that we will get the assent soon,” the minister said. Asked whether the Cabinet had explored legal options, the minister, who asked not to be named added that “no such action is warranted at present.”
Under the proposed law, hate speech and hate crimes would be treated as cognisable and non-bailable offences.
The Bill’s definition of prejudicial interest encompasses bias or hostility based on religion, race, caste or community, sex, gender, sexual orientation, place of birth, residence, language, disability or tribe. It also extends liability to organisations and institutions.
To be sure, some other laws are also pending before the Governor. These include the Karnataka Social Boycott (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Bill, amendments concerning the Karnataka State Commission for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, the Drugs and Cosmetics (Karnataka Amendment) Bill, and the Karnataka Scheduled Castes (Sub-Categorisation in Reservation) Bill.
The Governbor, on Wednesday returrned the Karnataka Tank Conservation and Development Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2025, to the government for reconsideration. The amendment bill revises lake buffer norms, replacing uniform 30 metre protection with size based zones, permitting regulated construction near tanks while raising concerns over ecology, flooding and water security.
Under the Constitution, Governors can assent to bills, return them to the legislature for reconsideration, or forward them to the President for approval. In a recent response to a Presidential Reference, the Supreme Court said that no timeline could be prescribed for these, as mandated by an April Supreme Court order.
