In a significant legal development, Bengaluru’s special court granted bail to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday in a defamation case lodged by the BJP’s Karnataka unit. The case revolved around contentious advertisements published in leading newspapers, which allegedly defamed the BJP by accusing its then-government of rampant corruption during its tenure from 2019 to 2023.
The advertisements in question surfaced ahead of last year’s Assembly elections, pointing fingers at the BJP-led state government for engaging in widespread corrupt practices. This legal action marks a critical point in the political rivalry between the Congress and BJP, especially with the assembly polls’ backdrop.
Earlier, on June 1, the same court had also extended bail to Karnataka’s Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, who holds the additional role of State Congress chief. Both had appeared before the court, adhering to its summons in connection with this defamation suit.
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In a directive issued last week, Judge K N Shivakumar ordered Rahul Gandhi to make a personal appearance before the court on June 7, emphasizing the need for his direct involvement in the proceedings.
