Rahul Gandhi granted bail in BJP defamation case

On Friday, a special court in Bengaluru granted bail to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in a defamation case initiated by the BJP’s Karnataka unit. The case revolves around advertisements published in local newspapers ahead of the 2023 state elections, accusing the BJP of corruption.

Previously, Karnataka Congress chief D K Shivakumar and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah were granted bail on June 1 in connection to the same case. Rahul Gandhi is the fourth accused, alongside the Congress party, Shivakumar, and Siddaramaiah.

The complaint from the BJP alleges that the Congress defamed the party by asserting that the BJP leadership had set prices for various government positions, such as Rs 2,500 crore for the Chief Minister’s post and Rs 500 crore for a minister’s post, contributing to widespread corruption.

The Congress's advertisements, dated May 5, 2023, claimed there were high commissions involved in various tenders and grants, including 75% in COVID kit tender deals, 40% for Public Works Department tenders, and 30% for grants to religious organizations, among others. These allegations were described as "an insult to the BJP party during the elections" by BJP state general secretary S Keshav Prasad in a private complaint filed in the special court on May 8, 2023.