Delegation urges K T Rama Rao to move Assembly resolution on Karnataka model legislation

Hyderabad (Patriotic Views): Senior leaders of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi on Tuesday submitted a detailed representation to K T Rama Rao, Working President of the party and former Minister, urging him to initiate a formal proposal in the Telangana Legislative Assembly for drafting and enacting a comprehensive law to curb hate speech and hate crimes in the State. The representation, signed by Ali bin Ibrahim Masqati, Naveed Iqbal, Mohammed Younus Akbani and Boath MLA Anil Jadhav, urged the BRS leadership, as the principal Opposition, to move a resolution during the ongoing Winter Session seeking legislation on the lines of the recently enacted Karnataka law defining hate speech across words, gestures, symbols, digital and social media, public speeches and organised campaigns, while treating hate crimes as aggravated offences with strict punishment and time bound investigation. Referring to Telangana, the leaders cited the Chief Minister’s public acknowledgment of the need for such a law, warned that nearly fifty communal incidents threaten social cohesion, and expressed grave concern over a video allegedly showing suspended BJP MLA Raja Singh inciting violence, recalling his 2022 Preventive Detention under Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, and arguing that the absence of a specific statute weakens enforcement. Rama Rao heard the delegation patiently, cited a five day session, and assured the issue would be raised later in the Assembly and other democratic forums to protect secularism, fraternity, equality and the rule of law across Telangana’s pluralistic social fabric and public order for all communities without delay or compromise whatsoever henceforth statewide.