The BJP has filed a defamation complaint against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), before the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court in Bengaluru.

The special court exclusively to deal with criminal cases related to elected former and sitting MPs/MLAs has taken cognisance of the offenses under Sections 499 (defamation) and 500 (punishment for defamation) of the Indian Penal Code and posted the case for recording the sworn statement on July 27.

Summons were ordered to be issued on Tuesday to all the respondents in this regard.

The private complaint alleging false claims in advertisements tarnishing the image of the BJP was filed by the party’s state secretary S Keshavaprasad on May 9.

According to the complaint, the advertisement released by the KPCC in major newspapers on May 5, 2023, in the run-up to the Assembly election claiming that the then incumbent BJP government indulged in “40 per cent corruption” and had looted Rs 1.5 lakh crore in the previous four years was “baseless, prejudiced and defamatory”.