Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy announced that the State government will soon introduce legislation to curb hate speech and penalise those who insult members of other religions. He added that the proposed Bill will be tabled in the Assembly shortly.
Speaking at the Christmas celebrations held at LB Stadium on Saturday, Mr. Reddy reiterated his government’s commitment of safeguarding minority rights and ensuring their upliftment. He also assured allocation of lands for minority graveyards across the State, besides seeking the help of NGOs in resolving pressing issues related to transportation of the dead to the graveyards by arranging vehicles.
Lauding the role of Christian missionaries in education and healthcare sectors for centuries in the country, the Chief Minister said, “No matter which government is in power, it must congratulate the yeoman services offered by missionaries in these sectors.” He credited their efforts for improving the average life expectancy in the country.
Mr. Reddy emphasised that the State is taking firm steps to uphold religious freedom and has acted decisively against attempts to provoke communal hatred in the last two years. Referring to a recent legislation on hate speech in the neighbouring State of Karnataka, the Chief Minister said Telangana would bring a similar law soon to deal with hate speech and hate crimes. “We will make Telangana number one in development and welfare in line with the Telangana Rising 2047 vision,” he added.
Extending Christmas greetings to the Christian community, he highlighted the significance of December as a miracle month, noting that it marks the birth of Jesus Christ, Sonia Gandhi’s promise to create Telangana State, and the formation of the ‘People’s Government’ in Telangana.
Mr. Revanth Reddy reaffirmed his government’s welfare initiatives, including Indiramma houses for the poor, free RTC travel for women worth ₹8,500 crore, free electricity for 50 lakh families, and Sanna Biyyam (fine rice) for over 3.10 crore people.
Minority Welfare Minister Mohammad Azharuddin, Ponguleti Srinvas Reddy, Ponnam Prabhakhar, Vakiti Srihari, Adluri Laxman Kumar and minority leaders attended the event.