Hyderabad, March 31 -- BRS leader Ravula Srihar Reddy on Tuesday criticised the proposed Hate Speech & Hate Crimes (Prevention) Bill, 2026, stating that while it is the responsibility of an elected government to safeguard fundamental rights, the Bill appears to deviate from that objective.

"It is the responsibility of any elected government in a democracy like ours to protect the fundamental rights, freedom of speech and basic rights of people. But in the name of protecting vulnerable communities and preventing hate speech and crimes, the Bill brought by the Telangana Government looks totally different," he said.

He further alleged that the proposed legislation could be misused to curb dissent and suppress opposition voices.

"The broad...