Karnataka HC quashes BJP’s defamation case against Rahul Gandhi
In a relief to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, the Karnataka High Court on Tuesday quashed the defamation case filed against him by the Karnataka BJP unit over the publication of a “corruption rate card” advertisement during the 2023 Assembly election campaign.
Justice Sunil Dutt Yadav allowed Gandhi’s petition challenging the legality of the criminal proceedings pending before the Special Court for cases involving sitting and former MLAs and MPs.
While allowing the petition, the court observed that continuing the proceedings against Gandhi would amount to an “abuse of the process of law.”
The case stemmed from newspaper advertisements published on May 5, 2023, during the Assembly election campaign. The advertisements, issued under the title “Corruption Rate Card,” accused the BJP government of seeking up to a 40 percent commission from contractors and referred to it as a “40 per cent Commission Sarkara.”
The Karnataka BJP had filed a complaint against the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, and Rahul Gandhi, alleging that the advertisements contained false and reckless allegations intended to defame the party.
In January 2025, the High Court had granted interim relief by staying the proceedings before the Special Court against Gandhi.
Rahul Gandhi had appeared before the Special Court on June 7, 2024, in response to a summons and was granted bail. Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar had also earlier appeared before the court and secured bail in the case.
Earlier also, a separate matter, another defamation case has been filed against Rahul Gandhi, a vocal critic of Hindutva politics, over remarks in which he allegedly described Bharatiya Janata Party members as “liars” and “drunk with power,” and referred to Union Home Minister Amit Shah as a “murder-accused.”
