A Bengaluru court has taken formal cognisance of a criminal defamation complaint filed against Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge and Youth Congress leader Mohammed Haris Nalapad.
The order, passed on June 27, 2026, was issued by the XLII Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Sandeep Patil, who found a prima facie case against the two leaders. The court has directed both individuals to appear before it for further proceedings scheduled for July 21, 2026.
The legal proceedings have been initiated under Section 356 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, which pertains to the offence of criminal defamation. The matter has been registered as a criminal case following a private complaint that alleged the leaders made disparaging and derogatory remarks against the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
The legal action originates from a complaint filed by A Tejas, a resident of Bengaluru and an active worker of the RSS. In his deposition, the complainant alleged that the accused leaders engaged in a series of defamatory statements targeting the organisation and its members through social media posts and media interactions starting in late 2025.
According to the complaint, Priyank Kharge, while serving in his official ministerial capacity, wrote a letter to the Karnataka government on October 4, 2025, urging it to prevent the RSS from using government facilities such as playgrounds, schools, and colleges. The complainant alleged that this communication was deliberately released to the media and shared on Kharge’s social media platforms with the specific intent of defaming the organisation.
The complaint further highlighted specific social media posts allegedly made by Kharge on October 13 and 14, 2025. In one post, Kharge reportedly advised the public never to befriend RSS members, claiming they were "real abusers". Another post claimed that the organisation had not spared historical figures such as Mahatma Gandhi or B.R. Ambedkar. The complainant contended that these remarks were intended to portray RSS members as extremists and sexual predators, thereby causing significant harm to the organisation’s reputation.
Regarding Mohammed Nalapad, the complaint cited statements made during a media interaction where he allegedly remarked that RSS members "have nothing beneath their shorts". The complainant described this statement as obscene and insulting, aimed at ridiculing members of the organisation. It was further alleged that neither leader had withdrawn their remarks or offered an apology, and the continued online presence of these statements has aggravated the harm.
While the court moved forward with the case against Kharge and Nalapad, it declined to initiate proceedings against former minister and current MLA Dinesh Gundu Rao. The complaint against Rao was based on social media posts where he allegedly supported Kharge and questioned the RSS in the context of the murders of rationalists and journalist Gauri Lankesh. However, the court found insufficient grounds to proceed against him and dropped the charges at the stage of cognisance.
Following the court's summons, Priyank Kharge expressed confidence in the legal process, stating that the "Constitution and law are on our side". He told that he would fight the criminal defamation case through legal means and maintained that his questions regarding the organisation were not made casually or irresponsibly. Kharge also renewed his demand for the RSS to formally register itself as an organisation.
Kharge questioned why the world's largest organisation remains unregistered and called for transparency regarding its donations and accounts. He cited religious leaders, including Vishwaprasanna Tirtha Swami of Pejawar Math, who have reportedly made similar calls for registration. Karnataka Congress president B.K. Hariprasad backed the minister, alleging that the RSS has historically targeted those who uphold constitutional and secular values.
The matter is listed on July 21.
Case title: TEJAS.A v/s PRIYANK KHARGE & OTHERS
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