Karnataka High Court Halts Defamation Case Against CM Siddaramaiah

The Karnataka High Court has temporarily halted a criminal defamation case against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, initiated by the BJP. The case revolves around allegations that Congress party advertisements prior to the 2023 Assembly elections contained defamatory statements about the previous BJP government. Justice SR Krishna Kumar has requested a response from the BJP regarding Siddaramaiah's plea, following similar relief granted to other Congress leaders. The BJP's complaint includes accusations of corruption against the former government, which were also echoed by Rahul Gandhi in a public address. This development raises significant questions about the intersection of politics and media in Karnataka.

By Narendra Chaudhary Jul 11, 2025, 18:03 IST

Court Decision on Defamation Case

On Friday, the Karnataka High Court issued an interim order that pauses the trial court's proceedings in a criminal defamation lawsuit against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, initiated by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The BJP accused the Congress party, its Karnataka branch, and several leaders of being behind newspaper ads released prior to the 2023 Assembly elections, which allegedly contained defamatory remarks about the previous BJP administration in the state.

Justice SR Krishna Kumar, who presided over the case, requested the BJP to respond to Siddaramaiah's plea, effectively halting the proceedings in the magistrate court.

This judge had previously granted similar relief to other prominent Congress figures, including Rahul Gandhi and Karnataka's Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, who were also implicated in the case.

The BJP's allegations claimed that the advertisements accused the former government led by Basavaraj Bommai of soliciting kickbacks in public contracts and mismanaging state resources.

Additionally, the party asserted that the ads included corruption allegations against the BJP-led government, which were echoed by Gandhi during a public speech.