Legal Proceedings and Bail Approval
In a significant development on the legal front, a Bengaluru court has granted bail to Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge and Youth Congress leader Mohammed Nalapad. The decision comes in response to a criminal defamation complaint filed against them, accusing the duo of making defamatory statements about the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and its members.
The XLII Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Sandeep Patil, presided over the case and approved the bail applications for Kharge and Nalapad. The court noted that the allegations fell under bailable offenses, thereby allowing the relief. Magistrate Patil stated, “The offense alleged against the accused No.1 (Kharge) and No.3 (Nalapad) is under Section 356 of BNS, which is bailable in nature. Hence, the bail applications filed under Section 478 of BNSS and applications filed under Section 490 of BNSS on behalf of accused No.1 and No.3 are allowed.”
Conditions Imposed by the Court
As part of the bail conditions, both Kharge and Nalapad are required to execute a personal bond of ₹1 lakh and furnish cash security of ₹10,000 each. The complaint, initiated by A. Tejas, an RSS worker based in Bengaluru, alleges that Kharge and Nalapad made a series of defamatory remarks against the RSS in October 2025.
Details of the Allegations
Kharge, on October 4, 2025, reportedly addressed a letter to the Karnataka government urging it to restrict the RSS from utilizing government properties such as playgrounds, schools, and colleges for its activities. The complaint asserts that this letter was intentionally leaked to the media and shared on Kharge’s social media platforms to tarnish the RSS’s reputation.
Further, the complaint highlights several social media posts allegedly made by Kharge on October 13 and 14, 2025, which purportedly portrayed the RSS and its members in a negative light. These posts allegedly included statements like “Never befriend an RSS member. Not only friend, even if it is your family… They are the real abusers,” and claims that the RSS had not spared figures like Mahatma Gandhi or BR Ambedkar.
Statements by Mohammed Nalapad
In addition to Kharge, the complaint also references remarks made by Mohammed Nalapad during a media interaction where he allegedly commented that RSS members “have nothing beneath their shorts.” The complainant described these remarks as obscene and derogatory, asserting that they were intended to ridicule RSS members.
Proceedings Against Other Individuals
While the court proceedings included references to former minister Dinesh Gundu Rao, who allegedly supported Kharge and questioned the RSS regarding the murders of rationalists and journalist Gauri Lankesh, Govind Pansare, and MM Kalburgi, the court did not find sufficient grounds to proceed against Rao, thus dismissing the defamation case against him.
Future Court Dates
Both Kharge and Nalapad appeared in court alongside their legal counsel on Saturday. After the allegations were read out to them, the accused denied the charges and expressed their intention to contest the trial. The court has scheduled the next hearing to record evidence from the complainant on September 19, 2026.
Legal representation for Priyank Kharge was provided by Advocates Ashwin Chikkamath and Paritosh Siddapurmath, while Advocates Praveen Kamath and Shathabish Shivanna represented Nalapad. The complainant was represented by Advocates Venkatesh Dalwai and Girish Bharadwaj.
