AAP MP Vikramjit Singh Sahney has introduced The Online Hate Speech (Prevention) Bill 2024 in the Rajya Sabha (Upper House). The private member’s Bill addresses the issue of online hate speech. It aims to curb communal disharmony and religious hatred spread through social media. It includes provisions to penalize individuals who use any platform to spread religious enmity or denigrate individuals based on religion, race, caste, community, sex, national or ethnic origin, language, or disability. Sahney emphasized the outdated nature of the current Information Technology Act of 2000, established before the advent of social media, and the urgent need for updated legislation to tackle modern challenges and protect the social fabric of the country. Sahney has previously flagged the issue of online hate propaganda, seeking action against accounts propagating communal discord, including calls for a repeat of the 1984 genocide of Sikhs. Meanwhile on 31 Jul, X shut down and then revived a prominent social media page, Tracking Hate Against Sikhs with the handle @thaSikhs. The Sikh community and advocacy groups including the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) condemned X for silencing an account that countered hateful propaganda against Sikhs, while allowing hate campaigns against the community to persist unchecked. When the @thaSikhs handle was suspended, many Hindutva trolls celebrated. @thaSikhs pointed out several instances where Hindutva trolls target Sikhs; they can be seen here and here. The account administrators noted that their account remains under attack, with ongoing attempts to suspend it, urging followers to join their Telegram group for regular updates.
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