Bengaluru court on Saturday granted bail to Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge and Youth Congress leader Mohammed Nalapad in a criminal defamation case over alleged remarks against Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and its members. The court's decision gives relief to the two political leaders as the defamation case continues before the magistrate.
XLII Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Sandeep Patil granted bail applications to Kharge and Nalapad. The court found that the offence alleged against the two accused under Section 356 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) is bailable in nature. Thus, their applications were granted under the BNSS provisions of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).
The court also required Kharge and Nalapad to execute personal bail bonds of ₹1 lakh each as well as cash security of ₹10,000. The conditions were imposed and the two leaders are on bail.
The criminal defamation complaint was filed by Bengaluru resident and RSS worker A Tejas. The complaint alleged Kharge and Nalapad made a series of statements and comments in October 2025 which were defamatory towards the RSS and its members. The complaint also cited statements made through social media, government communication as well as a media interaction.
Allegations Against Priyank Kharge
According to the complaint, Priyank Kharge wrote to the Karnataka government on 4 October 2025 to ask them to stop the RSS from using government playgrounds, schools and colleges to run its activities. The complaint claimed that the letter was made public and subsequently shared on Kharge's social media profiles to damage the RSS' image.
The complaint also cites social media posts filed by Kharge on October 13 and 14. One of the posts warned people against befriending RSS members and used highly critical language against them. Another post alleged the organization was attacking Mahatma Gandhi and BR Ambedkar.
Tejas claimed that the statements presented RSS members in a defamatory manner and hurt the organisation and its members. The complainant claimed the statements were harmful to reputation and remained available through online platforms.
Allegations Against Mohammed Nalapad
The complaint also referred to comments made by Mohammed Nalapad in a media call. Nalapad made an objectionable comment on RSS members, which the complainant described as insulting, obscene and intended to ridicule the RSS members.
Tejas also said neither Kharge nor Nalapad had retracted the alleged remarks or issued an apology. The existence of the statements online, according to the complaint, had contributed to the supposed damage to the reputation of the RSS and its members.
The complainant also referred to statements and social media posts allegedly made by former minister Dinesh Gundu Rao in connection with the controversy. But the court did not find sufficient grounds to proceed against Rao and dropped the defamation proceedings against him.
Kharge and Nalapad deny allegations
Kharge and Nalapad appeared before the court along with their lawyers on Saturday, among others. After the substance of the allegations was read out and explained to them at a meeting, both leaders denied the accusations and said they would fight the case.
The court’s decision to grant bail does not constitute a finding on the merits of the defamation allegations. The case will continue and the complainant will bring evidence to the court that supports the allegations in the complaint.
The matter has been set for recording of evidence. The next hearing is scheduled for September 19, 2026. And so the process will decide on how the complaint proceeds and whether the accusations can be established on the basis of the evidence presented before the court.
All the political controversy has started to take shape because it involves a Karnataka minister and a Youth Congress leader in a complaint filed by an RSS worker. The dispute also reflects the larger political friction between the RSS and Congress, with public statements and social media posts frequently provoking political and legal sparring.
For Kharge, the case is a part of his job as Karnataka’s Home Minister and Nalapad is also in a position to work in the state Congress. The bail order of the court allows them both to continue to contest the allegations while the judicial process takes place.
The complainant's evidence will be considered now. The accused have both denied the allegations and asked for a trial so the dispute over the alleged remarks will be discussed in the legal process.
In the case, we also see the proliferation of social media in defamation disputes. The statements posted online can be seen for some time after the fact and may become part of legal proceedings if the complaint says the statements have damaged their reputation. We have cited several social media posts here and in other public forums.
The case remains pending at Bengaluru Court of Evidence in September with evidence to be heard. The latest order was on bail and the serious claims of criminal defamation are still being litigated.
