A Bengaluru court has dismissed a criminal complaint against Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, which alleged defamation and hurt to religious sentiments over his remarks in the state assembly linking RSS and Bajrang Dal to criminal activities.
The court held that the statements, made during a legislative debate, did not amount to defamation or an attack on religious beliefs and were protected under the constitutional privileges granted to lawmakers.
The complaint, filed by advocate Kiran N.—who claimed affiliation with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)—stemmed from Siddaramaiah’s March 17, 2025 speech in the Legislative Assembly, where the Chief Minister reportedly said that “most of those committing crimes are from the RSS and Bajrang Dal.” The complainant argued that the statement defamed the RSS, hurt his personal sentiments, and painted the organisation and its members as criminal.
However, Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate K.N. Shivakumar, in an order passed this week, dismissed the complaint after finding no grounds to proceed under Sections 299, 352, and 356(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023. The court noted that the remarks were made in the context of a reply to the Governor’s address and in response to the opposition’s allegations on law and order in the state.
Importantly, the court observed that the RSS is “admittedly not a religious organisation” and that the comments made by the CM did not reference any religious group or doctrine. An extract from the RSS’s official website, submitted by the complainant himself, was cited by the court to support this view.
“Therefore, the alleged remarks made against the RSS do not in any manner refer to any religion or religious belief,” the court stated, ruling out the application of Section 299 of the BNS, which pertains to deliberate acts intended to outrage religious feelings.
The judge further concluded that there was no intention evident in the speech to malign the RSS or its volunteers. “After careful examination of the complaint, the documents, and the context, there is no prima facie case made out under the alleged offences,” the court ruled.
Siddaramaiah, in his legal response, maintained that his comments were protected under Article 194(2) of the Constitution, which grants immunity to members of a legislature for anything said during official proceedings. He also argued that any defamation case, if at all maintainable, should be brought by the organisation itself and not by an individual.
The court upheld this position, noting that the remarks were part of an ongoing legislative debate on governance and security issues, and therefore fell within the ambit of legislative privilege. It further cited a report from The Hindu indicating that opposition leader R. Ashok had supported the Chief Minister’s right to speak freely in the Assembly, underscoring the procedural context of the remarks.
In conclusion, the court ruled that Siddaramaiah’s comments were made as part of his official duties, reflected a political and administrative viewpoint, and were constitutionally protected. As a result, the complaint was found to be without merit and was dismissed.
