Bengaluru, May 26 (UNI) The Congress government in Karnataka has announced that it will file a defamation case against the BJP and its leaders over what it termed as a “false and misleading” media campaign alleging corruption and misgovernance in the state.
In an official notification, the state government stated that it would move the 42nd Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) Court in Bengaluru, seeking legal action against the BJP’s advertisement titled 'Charge List on the Failure of the State Government for 2 Years’.
The advertisement had levelled serious allegations of scams and administrative failure since the Congress assumed office in 2023.
Government officials said the action was aimed at curbing the spread of misinformation and ensuring accountability in public discourse.
The Secretary of the Cabinet Affairs and Services (CAS) Department has been authorised to lodge the complaint, while government advocates BS Patil and Shailaja Nayak have been appointed as special public prosecutors to represent the state.
Deputy secretary of home department (law and order) Kumta Prakash will oversee coordination and documentation.
Reacting to the move, the Karnataka BJP chief Vijayendra Yediyurappa has strongly criticised the Congress-led government in Karnataka, accusing it of resorting to “Emergency-era” tactics to suppress the opposition and silence the media. In a statement issued on Monday.
He alleged that the Congress has a history of undermining democracy, jailing political opponents, and muzzling press freedom, and is continuing the same pattern in Karnataka by targeting dissenting voices.
Vijayendra claimed that the Congress government has misused constitutional positions, including the office of the Assembly Speaker, to harass opposition leaders and obstruct democratic processes. He cited the exclusion of the opposition and media from a recent state event as evidence of the government’s “dictatorial approach.”
Vijayendra also condemned the reported threat of defamation suits against both BJP leaders and journalists as an attempt to intimidate critics.
Drawing parallels to the Emergency declared in 1975, Vijayendra warned that Karnataka is witnessing the beginning of a “second chapter of Emergency.” It asserted that the people of Karnataka, along with the opposition parties and the media, will resist any such authoritarian tendencies and uphold democratic values.
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