A civil society organisation has urged the Karnataka government to open up the proposed Karnataka Hate Speech and Hate Crimes (Prevention) Bill, 2025, for wider public consultation before it reaches the Legislative Council. The Bill, already tabled in the Assembly, aims to tackle hate speech and crimes targeting communities like Dalits, Muslims, Christians, women, and queer groups. However, the Campaign Against Hate Speech, while supporting the Bill's intent, has flagged several concerns that need urgent review. The group's main worry is the Bill's narrow definition of "hate crime", which focuses only on hate speech and ignores physical violence such as mob lynching and social boycotts. They say this creates a false equivalence between speech and violent acts. The Bill lacks specific punishments for hate speech and uses an emotion-based definition, which has already caused weak law enforcement before. The punishment range from one to seven years is criticized for being vague, especially since the offence is non-bailable and cognisable. The Bill also grants broad powers to Executive Magistrates and police without clear limits, risking arbitrary actions. Another major concern is the power given to a designated officer to block or remove online content labeled as hate crime material even before trial. The group warns this could lead to executive censorship and harm free speech rights under Article 19(1)(a). The Campaign Against Hate Speech has cited the Supreme Court's call for meaningful public consultation and the Centre's 2014 Pre-Legislative Consultation Policy, which mandates draft laws be open to public view for at least 30 days. They urge Karnataka to meet widely with civil society, police, and legal experts. If needed, the Bill should go to an expert or House committee first. This push for greater public discussion aims to make the Bill clearer, fairer, and more effective in protecting citizens without compromising fundamental freedoms.