Karnataka HC stays cases against BJP IT cell chief, Arnab Goswami over Cong' 'Turkiye Office' issue
Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka High Court has granted an interim stay on criminal proceedings initiated against BJP leader Amit Malviya and Republic TV's Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami, in connection with allegations of spreading false claims that the Indian National Congress (INC) operates an office in Istanbul, Turkiye.
Justice S Rachiah passed the order on Thursday while hearing petitions filed by both Malviya and Goswami, seeking the quashing of the cases lodged against them. The stay will remain in effect until the next hearing.
Malviya is also facing a separate case over a controversial social media post in which he shared a morphed image showing half the face of Gandhi merged with that of Pakistan's Army Chief Asim Munir.
The caption alleged that Gandhi was aligning with Pakistan's narrative, particularly in the wake of India's military offensive Operation Sindoor, in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. Malviya's post further questioned whether Gandhi was aspiring for the Nishan-e-Pakistan, Pakistan's highest civilian award.
Both cases have now been stayed following petitions to quash them.
The Congress had filed multiple complaints across the country, including in Karnataka, accusing Malviya and Goswami of orchestrating a "criminally motivated campaign" to spread fabricated claims that the Istanbul Congress Centre in Turkiye is an official Congress office.
The party alleged that the misinformation was aimed at defaming the INC, inciting unrest, and compromising national security, particularly sensitive in light of strained diplomatic ties between India and Turkiye following the Pahalgam attack and India's retaliatory action.
On May 20, Republic TV issued a public correction, stating that an image used in its digital coverage, which was purportedly linked to the alleged Congress office in Turkey, was mistakenly included by a video editor. The channel clarified that the image had no relevance to the broadcast content and was never aired on Goswami's primetime debate show. The error, the channel said, occurred after the live show had ended and was swiftly corrected. Republic TV extended an "unconditional and sincere" apology.
The next day, a post on Malviya's 'X' handle reiterated that the Congress had opened an office in Turkiye in 2019, shortly after it voiced support for Pakistan on the Kashmir issue at the UN. He dismissed the legal actions as evasive and insisted the party had yet to provide a credible explanation.
During Thursday's court proceedings, Senior Advocate Aruna Shyam, representing Malviya and Goswami, argued that the cases were politically driven and lacked substance. He highlighted inconsistencies in the application of legal provisions, particularly how an initially bailable charge under Section 352 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) was reportedly upgraded to a non-bailable one under Section 353 after police approached a magistrate. Section 353 pertains to statements intended to incite public disorder.
Shyam questioned the applicability of Section 353, stating, "He (Gandhi) is not a government functionary but the opposition leader," suggesting that the legal escalation was politically motivated.
The State's counsel responded that the investigation was at a preliminary stage and only notices had been issued, with no intention of making arrests. He urged the court to allow the inquiry to proceed to ascertain the nature and context of the disseminated information.
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Oppn, X users flag concerns over US envoy Sergio Gor’s visit to Army’s western command
New Delhi: A visit by the US Ambassador to India, Sergio Gor, to Chandigarh on Monday has triggered sharp criticism from opposition leaders and social media users, raising questions about national security and foreign policy.
On X, Ambassador Gor announced his visit, writing, “Just landed in Chandigarh. Looking forward to visiting the Western Command of the Indian Army.”
Just landed in Chandigarh. Looking forward to visiting the Western Command of the Indian Army
— Ambassador Sergio Gor (@USAmbIndia) February 16, 2026
Soon after, opposition voices questioned the broader implications of the visit. Congress Kerala, in a post, commented, “Why so much panic? We’ve already seen Pakistan's ISI getting access to Pathankot Airbase with this government's blessings. Didn't they say then ‘Modi ne kiya ho to kuch soch samajh kar kiya hoga?’ Compared to that, this is very small.”
Why so much panic? We’ve already seen Pakistan's ISI getting access to Pathankot Airbase with this government's blessings.
— Congress Kerala (@INCKerala) February 16, 2026
Didn't they say then "Modi ne kiya ho to kuch soch samajh kar kiya hoga?"
Compared to that, this is very small. pic.twitter.com/gNNuAGQBPC
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi also weighed in, writing, “Since India’s national strategic interests are now tied to what US wants India to do, this visit seems to sync with that.”
She further added, “India’s history will remember the de-escalation announcement between India and Pak was announced on social media by the US President before Indians got to know from their own government. US Ambassador is doing the job for his nation, who is doing for us? The answer is blowing in the wind.”
Since India’s national strategic interests are now tied to what US wants India to do, this visit seems to sync with that. India’s history will remember the de-escalation announcement between India and Pak was announced on social media by the US President before Indians got to… pic.twitter.com/rYMq5NhJHA
— Priyanka Chaturvedi🇮🇳 (@priyankac19) February 16, 2026
The visit comes against the backdrop of the growing US-India defence partnership.
Writer and political analyst @rajuparulekar commented on ‘X’, “East India Company is back!”
“Is it allowed for an ambassador to visit any army unit in india?” asked another user.
Several X users expressed concerns over the appropriateness of the visit.
One asked, “Is it allowed for an ambassador to visit any army unit in India?” Another wrote, “Why an ambassador visiting our army places? To talk to Chandigarh lobby for F-35?”
Why an ambassador visiting our army places ? To talk to chandigarh lobby for f-35 ??
— Rohan Sagar (@RohanSagar03) February 16, 2026
“We have completely sold Indian sovereignty. Rothschild the evil Bankers will now control NSE. Modi sold Bharat Mata to Trump . And now American imperialist is visiting our army command . Scary,” wrote another user.
“The Indian Army isn’t part of geopolitics, so why is he interested in visiting there?,” opined another.
The Indian Army isn’t part of geopolitics, so why is he interested in visiting there?
— Aditya Pratap Singh (@Adi_IIMCIAN) February 16, 2026
On Sunday, Gor welcomed Admiral Samuel Paparo, Commander of the United States Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM), highlighting efforts to expand the growing US-India defence partnership.
In a post on X, Gor wrote, “Delighted to have @INDOPACOM Commander Admiral Samuel Paparo in India to expand the U.S.-India defense partnership. Now is the time to strengthen vital cooperation between our two nations.”
On Monday, Admiral Samuel J. Paparo Jr visited the headquarters of India’s Western Army Command along with the American envoy Sergio Gor. The delegation was briefed on the formation’s capabilities, its past operations, and future plans.
The American delegation also visited Bengaluru, where they met three start-ups, two in the space sector and one in defence, and participated in an Indo-US conference.
