BENGALURU: BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa has moved the Karnataka High Court seeking directions to restrain the media from publishing defamatory statements made by Congress leaders including CM Siddaramaiah with regard to cases already closed and the cases pending against him before the courts.
Hearing the petition, Justice G Narendar ordered emergent notice to the Press Council of India and the regulatory body for TV broadcasters, but refused to pass any interim order. “After hearing the petition, this court is of the opinion that this case is appropriate to make PCI and the TV broadcasters’ regulatory body as parties. Admittedly, there is a larger issue. Therefore, issue emergent notice to them”, the judge said before adjourning further hearing to March 23.
As the court refused to pass an interim order, senior counsel C V Nagesh, representing Yeddyurappa, said at least the court may pass an interim order as far as media is concerned, if not against private parties at this stage, as damages can be claimed from them if they issue defamatory statements, he said. The court observed that it is also not happy with the allegations. “Let us do something best to the society,” the court said while ordering notices.
In his petition, Yeddyurappa has referred to the Congress leaders making statements from public platforms in relation to the cases already closed against him. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, KPCC president Dr G Parameshwara, working president Dinesh Gundu Rao, Water Resources minister M B Patil, former Union minister C M Ibrahim, MLC V S Ugrappa and Congress spokespersons Brijesh Kalappa and print and electronic media are the respondents in the case.