Bengaluru: A Bengaluru court has issued summons to Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge and Youth Congress leader Mohammed Nalapad in connection with a criminal defamation complaint alleging that they made defamatory statements against the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and its members.
The complaint was filed by A Tejas, a Bengaluru resident and an RSS worker, who alleged that a series of public statements, social media posts and interviews made by the accused in October 2025 had tarnished the image and reputation of the RSS and its volunteers.
After examining the complaint and supporting material, the Special Court for Trial of Cases Against MPs/MLAs in Bengaluru found sufficient prima facie grounds to proceed against Priyank Kharge and Mohammed Nalapad under Section 356 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which deals with criminal defamation. The court has directed that a summons be issued to both accused.
The complaint had also named Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao as an accused. However, the court declined to proceed against him, observing that the statements attributed to him did not, at this stage, constitute a specific defamatory imputation against the RSS as an identifiable body. Consequently, the complaint against him was dismissed.
According to the complainant, the controversy stems from a letter written by Priyank Kharge to the Chief Minister on October 4, 2025, seeking restrictions on RSS activities in government schools, colleges and public playgrounds. The complaint alleges that the minister subsequently shared the letter through his official social media account and that its contents portrayed the RSS in a defamatory manner.
The complaint further states that the letter alleged RSS activities created an atmosphere of fear in society, negatively influenced children and youth, and promoted extremist ideology. The complainant argued that publishing these allegations in the public domain damaged the reputation of the organisation and its members.
In addition, the complaint refers to a social media post allegedly made by Priyank Kharge on October 13, 2025, in which he reportedly made critical remarks about RSS members and linked the organisation to incidents involving violence and harassment. Another post made on October 14, 2025, was also cited as part of the alleged defamatory campaign.
Mohammed Nalapad has been accused of making similar remarks against the RSS during an interview with a YouTube channel. According to the complainant, the statements made in the interview were defamatory and contributed to lowering the reputation of the organisation among the public.
The complainant submitted that the accused, being prominent political leaders holding influential public positions, had made the remarks knowing that they would receive widespread attention. It was argued that the statements were viewed and read by thousands of people across Karnataka and had caused reputational damage to the RSS and its volunteers.
After hearing preliminary submissions, the court observed that there was sufficient material to register a criminal case against Priyank Kharge and Mohammed Nalapad for the alleged offence of defamation. The court clarified that the truthfulness of the allegations and the defence of the accused would be examined during the course of the trial.
Accordingly, the court directed its registry to issue a summons to both accused and fixed the next date of hearing. The proceedings against Dinesh Gundu Rao have been dropped at this stage. The criminal defamation case will now proceed before the Bengaluru Special Court, where both Priyank Kharge and Mohammed Nalapad are expected to appear in response to the summons and present their defence. The matter is scheduled to come up for further hearing on the date fixed by the court.
