Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge received a Rs 100-crore defamation notice after a case was filed against him for “defamatory” remarks against the Bajrang Dal and comparing it to the outlawed PFI in his party’s Karnataka poll manifesto.
The notice was issued by the court on May 12 on a petition filed by Hindu Suraksha Parishad national president Hitesh Bhardwaj.
The date for filing of reply to the notice has been fixed for July 10.
“That the respondent issued an election manifesto before the State of Karnataka for the elections.
“In the said manifesto, at para number 10, the defendant issued defamatory statements against the Bajrang Dal, a unit of the Hindu Suraksha Parishad, by declaring to ban the organisation and comparing it to outlawed organisations like the Popular Front of India (PFI)...,” the petitioner has submitted.