A Karnataka court on Tuesday issued summons to Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, in a case of alleged criminal defamation filed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The complaint, filed before the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate court, centres around an advertisement released by the KPCC in influential newspapers on May 5, 2023, leading up to the Assembly election.
Also Read: EXPLAINED: Why Congress’ proposed revision of Karnataka textbooks has stirred a controversy
As per the complaint, filed by S Keshavaprasad, the BJP’s state secretary, on May 9, the advertisement claimed that the then-incumbent BJP government had engaged in “40 per cent corruption” and had embezzled Rs 1.5 lakh crore over the previous four years, the complaint states, adding that these allegations are “baseless, prejudiced, and defamatory.”
On Tuesday, the court acknowledged the charges under Sections 499 (defamation) and 500 (punishment for defamation) of the Indian Penal Code and scheduled the case for hearing on July 27.