Rahul Gandhi to Appear in Bengaluru Court for Defamation Case
Rahul Gandhi To Appear Before Bengaluru Court In Defamation Case Today 
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to appear before a special court in Bengaluru on Friday, June 7, concerning a defamation lawsuit initiated by the Karnataka Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The case revolves around allegedly defamatory advertisements that appeared in mainstream newspapers. Rahul Gandhi was spotted early in the morning at Delhi airport, departing for Bengaluru.
Background of the Defamation Case
The Karnataka BJP filed the defamation lawsuit over advertisements published in leading newspapers ahead of the 2023 state assembly elections. These ads, accused of making false and reckless allegations, labeled the BJP government under Basavaraj Bommai as a “40 per cent Commission Sarkara,” suggesting large-scale corruption during its 2019-2023 term.
Court Appearance Details
Rahul Gandhi is expected to be present at the City Civil Court at 10:30 am. Following his court appearance, he is scheduled to meet with newly elected Congress MPs and defeated candidates from the state at Bharat Jodo Bhavan on Queens Road at 11:30 am. Karnataka’s Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar will also attend this meeting, as confirmed by the state’s Congress unit.
Details of the Allegations
The complaint, lodged in June 2023, focuses on advertisements published on May 5, 2023. These advertisements, titled “Corruption rate card,” were alleged to be defamatory and were attributed to the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee, headed by Shivakumar, and Siddaramaiah, then the Leader of the Opposition. Rahul Gandhi is also implicated for sharing the advertisement on his social media account on X.
Recent Developments in the Case
On June 1, the court granted bail to Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar after their appearance in connection with the defamation case. Judge K N Shivakumar scheduled Rahul Gandhi’s appearance for June 7. During the proceedings, Gandhi’s legal team requested an exemption from his appearance, which was opposed by the complainant, arguing against repeated exemptions.