Bengaluru, 23 Feb

A City court on Friday summoned former Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar to appear personally before it on 28 March in connection with a case filed by the BJP.

Special judge J Preeth also directed the registration of a criminal case against the accused persons, including the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee.

The BJP had accused the Congress leaders of putting out false advertisements against its party leaders, including the then Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai. During the Karnataka Assembly elections last year, the Congress accused the BJP of "40 percent corruption" and placed several advertisements in newspapers alleging corruption by the then ruling party.

Also, a poster campaign was launched targeting Bommai by displaying 'PayCM' posters with the then CM’s images across the City. The Congress also published a 'corruption rate card' against the former government.

The BJP filed a defamation case against the Congress leaders after the Assembly elections, alleging that the advertisements damaged the party's image. Vinod Kumar, the BJP’s lawyer, argued in court that the "false" advertisements had harmed the BJP's reputation.

After hearing the arguments, the 42nd Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) court ordered the Congress leaders to appear before it on 28 March in connection with the case.