Bhubaneswar, April 8 -- The Odisha State Law Commission (OSLC) has submitted recommendations for the Odisha Hate Speech and Hate Crimes (Prevention) Act, 2026 to the government, proposing stringent penalties, including jail terms of up to seven years, and classifying such offences as cognisable and non-bailable.

The recommendation, which was submitted to the Home department in February and made public on Wednesday, follows a suo motu review by the commission examining whether existing laws adequately address rising concerns over hate speech and communal disharmony, particularly in the context of digital communications and public discourse.

HT has reviewed the recommendations of the law commission.

As per the proposed law, anyone found ...