The bill will be tabled in the Winter session of the state legislature, which will take place in Belagavi from 8 December.
Published Dec 05, 2025 | 8:56 AM ⚊ Updated Dec 05, 2025 | 8:56 AM
Hate crime. Representative Image (iStock)
Synopsis: The state Cabinet approved the Karnataka Hate Speech and Hate Crimes (Prevention) Bill, 2025, intended to curb and prevent the dissemination, publication or promotion of hate speech and hate crimes. Punishments under the draft bill range from one to seven years of imprisonment.
The state Cabinet on Thursday, 4 December, approved the Karnataka Hate Speech and Hate Crimes (Prevention) Bill, 2025. The legislation is intended to curb and prevent the dissemination, publication or promotion of hate speech and hate crimes, which cause disharmony and hatred in society.
The bill will be tabled in the Winter session of the state legislature, which will take place in Belagavi from 8 December.
Briefing the media, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister HK Patil said the Bill aimed to curb hate crimes, which cause disharmony and hatred in society, against individuals or groups of persons and organisations and provide punishment for such crimes.
According to the bill, the definition of “hate speech” is “any expression which is made, published or circulated in words either spoken or written or by signs or by visible representations or through electronic communications or otherwise, in public view with an intention to cause injury, disharmony or feelings of enmity or hatred or ill-will against person [sic] dead or alive, class or group of persons or community, to meet any prejudicial interest”.
The definition of “hate crime” includes communication, publishing or circulation of hate speech, or any act of promoting, propagating, inciting or abetting or attempting such hate speech to cause disharmony or feelings of enmity or hatred or ill-will against any person, dead or alive or group of persons or organisations.
Punishments under the draft bill range from one to seven years of imprisonment with fines starting at ₹50,000 for first-time offenders. Repeat offenders could face two to ten years of imprisonment with fines up to ₹1 lakh.
Courts may also award adequate compensation to victims depending on the severity of harm. All offences under the draft bill are cognisable, non-bailable, and triable by the Judicial Magistrate First Class.
The bill provides powers for Executive Magistrates or senior police officers to act against potential offences, and designated state officials can direct service providers to block or remove hate content from electronic platforms. Furthermore, organisations will be held accountable, making those in charge liable for offences unless they can prove due diligence in preventing them.
The draft bill empowers the state government to make rules, stating that it complements existing laws such as the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and the Information Technology Act, 2000.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil.)
