Defamation case: Karnataka HC stays trial proceedings against DK Shivakumar
Bengaluru(PTI): The Karnataka High Court on Friday granted interim relief to Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar by staying the trial court proceedings in a criminal defamation case filed against him by the State BJP unit over "corruption rate card" ads.
The court also extended similar relief to the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), which is a co-accused in the matter.
Justice S R Krishna Kumar, who presided over the matter, issued notice to the respondent and made it returnable on July 29, effectively pausing the ongoing proceedings until further directions.
The defamation case arose after a series of controversial advertisements titled "Corruption Rate Card" were issued by the Congress party in the run-up to the 2023 Karnataka Assembly elections.
The BJP has alleged that these advertisements falsely accused it of institutionalising corruption while in power, claiming that appointments and transfers in government departments came with fixed "rates" and "commissions."
According to the BJP, the advertisements--published in local newspapers and promoted online--damaged the party's public image. The BJP has termed the Congress's claims as entirely fabricated and "born out of fanciful imagination."
Of particular contention is the Congress party's reference to the then BJP-led state government as a "trouble engine Sarkar", a wordplay on the BJP or NDA's self-description as a "double engine Sarkar." The BJP has argued that this was a deliberate attempt to ridicule and tarnish the party's image ahead of crucial polls.
The complaint specifically names D K Shivakumar, in his capacity as KPCC President, and Siddaramaiah, then the Leader of Opposition, as the individuals responsible for commissioning and approving the advertisements.
It also claims that Rahul Gandhi amplified the alleged defamatory content by posting it on his 'X' (formerly Twitter) account.
Earlier this year, in January, the High Court had granted a similar interim stay on the trial proceedings against Rahul Gandhi in connection with the same case.
Senior Advocate K Shashi Kiran Shetty and Advocate Surya Mukundaraj appeared on behalf of Shivakumar. The KPCC was represented by Advocates S A Ahamed and Sanjay B Yadav.
The matter is expected to come up next on July 29, when the High Court will further examine the validity of the defamation proceedings initiated by the BJP.
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Around 125 PACS under liquidation in Karnataka: Cooperation Minister Amit Shah
New Delhi, Aug 5 (PTI): As many as 125 out of total 6,291 Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) in Karnataka are under liquidation, Cooperation Minister Amit Shah informed Parliament on Tuesday.
Out of 125 PACS, 28 cooperatives are located in Chikkaballapura, followed by 13 in Hassan and 12 in Belagavi, as per the data placed before the Lok Sabha.
According to Shah, there are a total 6,291 PACS in Karnataka, out of which 64 are non-functional/dormant at present, while 125 are under liquidation.
In the last five years, 428 new PACS were registered in the state with the highest 187 in Belagavi, he said in a written reply to the Lower House.
At an all-India level, 4,964 PACS were registered in 2024-25 fiscal across the country.
The minister said National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) disbursed Rs 25.56 crore to PACS in Karnataka in five years till 2024-25.
Under a pilot project to construct a grain storage unit, the minister said a 1,000-tonne godown with a processing unit has been constructed at Primary Agriculture Cooperative Federation, Ekamba, Bidar in Karnataka.
For computerisation of PACS, the minister said of the 6,582 PACS sanctioned in Karnataka, hardware has been delivered to 5,491 PACS, 3,765 cooperatives have been onboarded onto the ERP system, 1,930 cooperatives are live on Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and 1,728 have completed by-end operations.
The Centre has released Rs 55.64 crore to Karnataka under the computerisation project, he added.
