BENGALURU: Acting on a complaint filed by a member of RSS against an alleged defamatory statement made by Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, IT & BT Minister Priyank Kharge and Health and Family Welfare Development Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao, and Karnataka State Youth Congress former president Mohammad Haris Nalapad, a Magistrate Court in the city issued notice to them to hear them before taking cognisance of the matter.
RSS Member Tejas A, residing in the city, filed the complaint under Section 356(2) of the BNS. Accordingly, the Magistrate proceeded under the provisions of BNSS and examined the complainant and two witnesses, Mahesh and Satish.
“As per the proviso to Section 223 of BNSS, 2023, before taking cognisance, it is necessary to hear the accused. Hence, issue notice to accused Nos. 1 to 3”, said XLII Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Bengaluru City, adjourning the case to January 14.
Referring to the letter written by Priyank Kharge to the Chief Minister on October 13, 2025, regarding the prohibition of activities on public playgrounds, including those of RSS, the complainant in his private complaint stated that Priyank posted on his ‘X’ account: “ Never be friend of an RSS member, be it your family member, brother, father or son. Because they are real venomous...”. Further, he also posted another on October 14. Both these statements are defamatory in nature, the complainant alleged.
Citing the statements made by Dinesh Gundurao to the media in support of Priyank and also Nalapad on social media, in his complaint, the complainant accused all three of them of tarnishing the image of the RSS.