Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K.
The court had directed Rahul Gandhi to appear in person on June 7.
Following the court order, Rahul Gandhi appeared in court, and submitted surety provided by former Member of Parliament D.K.
Earlier, Mr. Gandhi was received by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister and KPCC chief D.K.
The court exempted the appearance of Rahul Gandhi on June 1 but stated that he must be present on June 7.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was granted bail by a special court in Bengaluru in a defamation case filed by BJP’s Karnataka unit against the publication of advertisements in newspapers labelling the BJP as corrupt during the 2023 Legislative Assembly polls campaign in Karnataka.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar had been granted bail by the court on the first day of hearing on June 1. The court had directed Rahul Gandhi to appear in person on June 7.
Following the court order, Rahul Gandhi appeared in court, and submitted surety provided by former Member of Parliament D.K. Suresh.
Earlier, Mr. Gandhi was received by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister and KPCC chief D.K. Shivakumar at the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru.
Mr. Gandhi met newly-elected Congress MPs from Karnataka and defeated candidates, at Bharath Jodo Bhavan in Bengaluru at 11.30 a.m., along with Mr. Siddaramaiah and Mr. Shivakumar.
Mr. Shivakumar said, “Rahul Gandhi would attend the court in connection with a case filed by the BJP over an advertisement by the Congress party on the corruption rate card. BJP MLA Yatnal himself had said that the Chief Minister’s post costs ₹2,500 crore in BJP. The advertisement included media reports about the BJP’s corruption. Rahul Gandhi’s name has been included in the complaint to get publicity.”
On June 1, the BJP Karnataka unit sought the issuance of a non-bailable warrant against Rahul Gandhi for non-appearance even as the Congress party leaders argued that Rahul Gandhi was not linked to the publication of advertisements by the party in Karnataka.
The court exempted the appearance of Rahul Gandhi on June 1 but stated that he must be present on June 7.
The case of defamation was taken up based on a private complaint filed before the court by BJP MLC Keshav Prasad on May 8, 2023, who alleged that the Congress leaders were calling the BJP Government’s dispensation from 2019 to 2023 in the State as corrupt.
