Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is set to attend a special court session in Bengaluru, Karnataka, on Friday regarding a defamation lawsuit filed by the state’s BJP unit. He was spotted at the Delhi airport in the early hours of Friday, en route to Bengaluru for the court appearance.
The BJP’s complaint alleges that the Congress’s local newspaper advertisements and ‘misleading campaigning’ preceding the 2023 state assembly elections tarnished the BJP’s reputation. The case was filed against the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy CM DK Shivakumar, and Rahul Gandhi.
Previously, the court granted bail to Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar, who appeared before it on June 1. “I attended the court as instructed by legal counsel and obtained bail. A private complaint was lodged against me, KPCC president, and Rahul Gandhi. Rahul Gandhi will also present himself in court,” Siddaramaiah informed ANI after receiving bail.
Shivakumar dismissed the case as ‘baseless’, stating, “It is a fabricated case by the Bharatiya Janata Party against me, Rahul Gandhi, and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.”
In the May 2023 state assembly elections, the Congress party secured a decisive victory, winning 135 out of 224 seats in the Karnataka Assembly, displacing the ruling BJP. The BJP secured 66 seats, while the Janata Dal-Secular secured 19 seats.
