High Court quashes defamation complaint against Rahul

Bengaluru: In a significant relief to Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, the Karnataka High Court on Tuesday quashed a private defamation complaint filed against him over alleged “false propaganda” during the 2023 Assembly elections. The complaint stemmed from the Congress party’s campaign against the then BJP government in Karnataka, particularly the widely publicised “corruption rate card” advertisement that accused the administration of taking 40 per cent commission in public works. Rahul Gandhi had shared the campaign material on social media during the election period.

A private complaint had been filed by BJP leader Keshav Prasad, alleging that the statements amounted to defamation and false propaganda against the party. Based on the complaint, a lower court had issued summons to Rahul Gandhi. Challenging the summons, Rahul Gandhi approached the High Court seeking quashing of the proceedings. After hearing arguments, the bench presided over by Justice S. Sunil Dutt Yadav examined the nature of the allegations and the materials placed on record before setting aside the private complaint. During the hearing, Gandhi’s counsel argued that the campaign criticism was directed at the government’s functioning and not at any individual personally.

Political criticism made in the course of an election campaign, they contended, cannot automatically attract criminal defamation provisions. The High Court accepted the contention and observed that continuation of proceedings in the case would amount to misuse of legal process. With the complaint quashed, the summons issued earlier also stand set aside. The ruling comes as a relief to the senior Congress leader, who has faced multiple legal challenges linked to political speeches and campaign statements.