Hyderabad:The National Congress of Indian Christians (NCIC) on Sunday welcomed the state government’s decision to send the proposed Hate Speech and Hate Crimes (Prevention) Act, 2026 to a select committee, and asked that the law be passed at the earliest to address rising tensions linked to public religious discourse and media debates.
In a statement, the organisation said the Bill was introduced at a time when “in the name of freedom of expression, religious exaggeration, denigration of gods, religious scriptures, religious beliefs, brutal insults to political opponents, women and hateful comments that hurt the sentiments of others” have gone unchecked. It said curbing such speech does not obstruct freedom of expression.
The group said it supported the government’s move to refer the Bill to a select committee after criticism certain provisions. At the same time, it asked that the process be completed quickly and the law be enacted after incorporating the committee’s views.
The statement referred to demands made on May 23, 2025, when a memorandum was submitted to then-Director General of Police Dr Jitender, seeking a ban on religious debates on television, YouTube and social media. It alleged that such debates provoke speakers by repeating offensive remarks for ratings and income, leading to unrest between communities.
NCIC cited the March 24, 2025 murder of Pastor Praveen Gadala in Rajahmundry and the arrest of Pastor Ajay Babu as instances that had disturbed civil society. C.A. Daniel Adams, president of NCIC, along with leaders from allied organisations, reiterated their demand that the bill be enacted after incorporating the Select Committee’s views.
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