Karnataka High Court Sets Aside Defamation Proceedings Against Rahul Gandhi

The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday quashed the defamation proceedings initiated against Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, in a case arising from campaign advertisements published ahead of the 2023 Karnataka Assembly elections.

Justice S. Sunil Dutt Yadav allowed Gandhi’s petition seeking dismissal of the case, observing that permitting the matter to proceed would constitute an abuse of the legal process. The court ordered that the proceedings, insofar as they concerned Gandhi, stand set aside.

The complaint had been lodged by BJP leader Keshav Prasad against Gandhi, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar. The petition challenged certain newspaper advertisements and campaign slogans issued by the Congress party in the run-up to the 2023 state polls.

In the advertisements, the Congress alleged that the then BJP-led state government was demanding commissions of up to 40 per cent from contractors and others for the execution of public works. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) contended in its complaint that the campaign material contained false statements and defamed party leaders, including former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai.

In June 2024, a magistrate court had granted bail to Siddaramaiah, Shivakumar and Gandhi in connection with the case. The High Court’s latest order brings relief to Gandhi by terminating the criminal defamation proceedings against him in the matter.​