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Karnataka High Court quashes BJP’s defamation case against Rahul Gandhi
The court ruled the BJP lacked authority to file defamation against Rahul Gandhi, citing legal exemptions and deeming the case an abuse of process, quashing proceedings started over 2023 ads.
- On February 17, 2026, the Karnataka High Court quashed criminal proceedings against Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi after Justice S. Sunil Dutt Yadav allowed his petition, which challenged the case where he was accused as number 4.
- On May 5, 2023 advertisements titled `Corruption rate card` alleged a `40% sarkar` and large-scale looting, prompting the Karnataka BJP to lodge a complaint in June 2023 after those advertisements, which led to summons in Bengaluru.
- Legal submissions stressed the complaint lacked competence, as the petition argued the advertisements were political criticism protected under Section 499 of the Indian Penal Code, and only the Karnataka government can file such cases.
- The special court had earlier exempted Gandhi in December 2024, and proceedings were stayed by the Karnataka High Court in January 2025; a detailed order is yet to be released.
- Siddaramaiah and D K Shivakumar are also named, while the Karnataka BJP argued the advertisement was defamatory and the court had taken cognisance and issued magistrate's summons.
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Times of IndiaReposted by 
The Economic Times
The Economic TimesKarnataka HC quashes BJP's defamation case against Rahul Gandhi
The case was filed in 2023, when BJP was in power in Karnataka, following a "corruption rate card" published by the then opposition Congress to claim large scale irregularities prevailing in the state under the saffron party's rule.
·India
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‘Abuse of legal process’: Karnataka High Court quashes BJP’s 2023 defamation case against Rahul Gandhi over ‘corruption rate card’ ads
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar were also named in the case registered under sections 499 and 500 of the IPC by the BJP.
·India
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources13
Leaning Left4Leaning Right2Center0Last UpdatedBias Distribution67% Left
Bias Distribution
- 67% of the sources lean Left
67% Left
L 67%
R 33%
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