Bengaluru: A special court in Bengaluru on Saturday ordered Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to appear before it on June 7 in connection with a defamation case filed by the BJP.
In the same case, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar appeared before the court on Saturday and were subsequently granted bail. The defamation suit was filed by BJP MLC and general secretary Keshav Prasad.
The complaint centers around an advertisement released by the state Congress in newspapers last year, which accused the previous BJP government in Karnataka of corruption, referring to it as the “40 per cent Commission Sarkara.” The complainant argued that the advertisement made “reckless imputations” against the BJP and claimed that the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee, along with three other individuals, had conspired to defame the party by making false allegations.
Previously, on April 29, the court had granted all three accused an exemption from appearance, rescheduling their court date to June 1, 2024.
During the hearing on Saturday, Gandhi’s counsel requested another exemption from appearance for his client. This request was opposed by the complainant, who argued that repeated exemptions should not be allowed.
Special court judge K N Shivakumar granted the exemption but mandated that Rahul Gandhi must appear in court on June 7, saying that there would be no further allowances for absence. “Accused No. 4 (Rahul Gandhi) shall appear before this court on the next date of hearing without fail,” the judge stated.
