Karnataka HC Dismisses BJP’s Defamation Case Against Rahul Gandhi

The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday quashed the defamation case filed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi . The case stemmed from allegations that Gandhi had shared a series of unsubstantiated claims against the previous BJP-led government through newspaper advertisements and posts on X (formerly Twitter) ahead of the 2023 Karnataka Assembly elections.

The bench, headed by Justice S Sunil Dutt Yadav , allowed Rahul Gandhi’s plea seeking quashing of the order passed by the Special Court of Representatives in Bengaluru . The court observed, “Continuation of the proceedings in the trial court would amount to an abuse of the process of law. Accordingly, the proceedings against the fourth accused, Rahul Gandhi, are set aside.”

Rahul Gandhi’s lawyers argued that the BJP had submitted no evidence regarding his alleged retweet, its reach, or whether it caused defamation. Senior advocate K Shashikaran Shetty pointed out that the advertisement targeted the government, not the BJP party , and that Gandhi was not vice president at the time, contrary to BJP’s claims. He also noted that the question of whether retweeting constitutes defamation is still pending before the Supreme Court, and in this case, Gandhi had not retweeted the ad. Shetty stressed that holding politicians criminally liable for criticizing the government would effectively make political critique a crime.

The BJP state unit had alleged that Rahul Gandhi defamed the party by publishing a front-page advertisement titled “corruption rate list” , containing claims of bribes and commissions for government posts ranging from Rs 30 lakh to Rs 15 crore, including positions in KSDL, BESCOM, PWD, BDA, KPSC, and academic institutions . It also claimed that commissions were taken in COVID-related material supply and road construction projects, and accused Congress leaders of looting Rs 1.50 lakh crore through alleged 40–70% commissions. BJP lawyers argued that Gandhi’s name appeared in the list of star campaigners and that the ad, combined with his posting on X, could influence voters against the BJP.

The High Court noted that terms like “trouble engine government” were used as a political jibe at the BJP’s “double engine government,” and concluded that the case lacked merit . The court’s order effectively ends proceedings against Rahul Gandhi in this matter.