The BJP has filed a defamation complaint against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), before the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court here.
The special court exclusively to deal with criminal cases related to elected former and sitting MPs/MLAs has taken cognisance of the offences under Sections 499 (defamation) and 500 (punishment for defamation) of the Indian Penal Code and posted the case for recording the sworn statement on July 27.
Summons were ordered to be issued on Tuesday to all the respondents in this regard.
The private complaint alleging false claims in advertisements tarnishing the image of the BJP was filed by the party’s State secretary S Keshavaprasad on May 9.
According to the complaint, the advertisement released by the KPCC in major newspapers on May 5, 2023 in the run-up to the Assembly election claiming that the then incumbent BJP Government indulged in “40 per cent corruption” and had looted `1.5 lakh crore in the previous four years was “baseless, prejudiced and defamatory”.
Terming the allegations “baseless” and “defamatory,” the BJP alleged that it was because of such campaigns it lost the last month’s state election in Karnataka.
The “40 per cent corruption” became the key election plank of the Congress after allegations that officials in various ministries were seeking 40 per cent bribes.