Breaking: Karnataka HC Quashes BJP's Defamation Case Against Former CM Siddaramaiah Over "Corruption Rate Card" Ad
The Karnataka High Court today quashed the criminal defamation proceedings initiated by the State BJP unit against former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah over the Congress party's 2023 Assembly election advertisements accusing the then BJP-led government of running a “40 per cent commission sarkar”.
A Single-Judge Bench of Justice M Nagaprasanna allowed the petition filed by Siddaramaiah, thereby setting aside the proceedings pending against him before the trial court.
The criminal complaint was filed by the Karnataka BJP over a series of newspaper advertisements published by the Congress ahead of the 2023 Karnataka Assembly elections. The advertisements featured a "corruption rate card", alleging that the then BJP government, led by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, was involved in large-scale corruption and demanded commissions for government contracts, transfers and public works.
The BJP had alleged that the advertisements contained false and defamatory allegations intended to damage the party's reputation and influence voters during the Assembly elections.
The High Court had earlier stayed the trial court proceedings against Siddaramaiah in July 2025. The matter was heard by Justice Nagaprasanna, who reserved the order on the petitions seeking quashing of the defamation case in August 2026.
What Was The 'Corruption Rate Card' Advertisement?
The controversy arose from advertisements published by the Congress on May 5, 2023, shortly before polling in the Karnataka Assembly elections.
The advertisements accused the BJP government, which was in power between 2019 and 2023, of collecting commissions ranging from 25 to 30 per cent in several government departments and schemes. They referred to alleged commissions in the supply of COVID-19-related materials, Public Works Department contracts, grants to religious institutions, supply of eggs to schools and road projects.
The Congress campaign also alleged that the BJP government had looted approximately ₹1.5 lakh crore over four years and described it as a “40 per cent commission government”.
The advertisements presented alleged rates of corruption for various government works and services in the form of a rate card. The Congress used the campaign to target the BJP's governance record ahead of the election.
The BJP rejected the allegations, describing them as false, reckless and defamatory. It alleged that the advertisements were published across mainstream newspapers with the intention of tarnishing the party's image and adversely affecting its electoral prospects.
BJP Filed Criminal Defamation Complaint Against Congress Leaders
Following the publication of the advertisements, the Karnataka BJP filed a private complaint before the Magistrate's Court against the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
The complaint alleged that the accused were responsible for publishing and circulating the defamatory advertisements, which allegedly portrayed the BJP government as corrupt. It also referred to the campaign slogan contrasting the BJP's “double-engine government” with a “trouble-engine government”.
The BJP further alleged that Rahul Gandhi had shared the advertisements on social media, thereby participating in the alleged defamatory campaign.
The complaint invoked Sections 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code, which deal with criminal defamation and its punishment. The trial court took cognisance of the complaint and issued summons to the accused.
Siddaramaiah, Shivakumar and Rahul Gandhi subsequently approached the High Court, challenging the legality of the criminal proceedings. Rahul Gandhi's petition was allowed by the High Court in February 2026, when a separate Bench quashed the proceedings against him.
In July 2025, Justice S R Krishna Kumar had stayed the trial court proceedings against Siddaramaiah. Similar interim relief had also been granted to Shivakumar.
High Court Had Reserved Order After Hearing Arguments
Justice M Nagaprasanna heard the petitions filed by Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar, along with the challenge raised by the Congress party's Karnataka unit, and reserved the order on August 21, 2026.
During the hearing, Senior Advocate Shashi Kiran Shetty, appearing for the petitioners, had relied on the earlier order quashing the defamation proceedings against Rahul Gandhi and sought similar relief.
The BJP opposed the petitions, arguing that the present case was distinguishable because the advertisements had been published in newspapers and the allegations directly targeted the party that was then in power.
The BJP's counsel contended that the advertisements were defamatory and that the petitioners' claim of fair comment should be tested through a trial rather than being accepted as a ground to quash the complaint.
The High Court has now allowed Siddaramaiah's petition and quashed the proceedings against him.