Karnataka HC stays BJP defamation case against Deputy CM DK Shivakumar, state Congress
Justice SR Krishna Kumar heard preliminary arguments in the matter, and stayed the proceedings till the case is heard next. The judge issued a notice to the BJP, and adjourned the hearing till July 29, the Deccan Herald reported.
The case pertains to allegations by the Congress that the previous BJP government in Karnataka took bribes from contractors. The Congress was elected to power in the state in 2023, displacing the BJP government.
The BJP filed the defamation case against the Congress, party leader Rahul Gandhi and Shivakumar, objecting to newspaper advertisements with allegedly derogatory allegations about the previous BJP government between 2019 and 2023. The Congress had alleged that the government was charging a 40% commission or bribes from contractors for undertaking public works.
The BJP alleged that the Congress was spreading false claims against its members, including the then Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai.
The High Court had stayed proceedings against Gandhi in the case on January 17.
The advertisements based on which the BJP filed the defamation case accused the previous government in Karnataka of having looted Rs 1,500 crore through corrupt practices like charging commissions. They also alleged that the government had put in place 'rate cards' for bribes that purportedly had to be paid to secure government posts.
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