Bengaluru court upholds dismissal of defamation complaint against Siddaramaiah over remarks on RSS, Bajrang Dal

A Bengaluru court has dismissed a criminal revision petition questioning the correctness of an order dismissing a defamation complaint against Congress leader and former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah over remarks he made on the RSS and Bajrang Dal in the Legislative Assembly [Kiran N v Siddaramaiah]..The ruling was passed by Additional City Civil and Sessions Judge Shivaprasad KB on August 29..The court was hearing a criminal revision filed by Kiran N (complainant), challenging the September 17, 2025, order of the XLII Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Bengaluru, that rejected his private complaint against Siddaramaiah.The complainant was an advocate from Bengaluru who claimed to be a volunteer of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). He had filed a private complaint against Siddaramaiah, alleging that certain remarks he nade in the State Legislative Assembly on March 17, 2025, were defamatory.The complainant stated that Siddaramaiah, while addressing the House during a debate on law and order, had remarked that “most of those committing crimes are from RSS and Bajrang Dal.”Kiran contended that the remarks had hurt his sentiments as an RSS member and that the alleged statement had no connection with the legislative functions of the State government.Kiran, therefore, approached a Special Court with a complaint alleging the commission of offences under Section 299 (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings), Section 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) and Section 356(2) (defamation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.In September 2025, a Chief Judicial Magistrate dismissed this complaint, observing that the speech had a direct nexus with the governance issues under discussion in the Assembly and was therefore covered by constitutional privilege..The complainant challenged this ruling by way of a revision petition. This plea has now been dismissed by Judge Shivaprasad KB in his August 29 verdict.The court agreed with the earlier finding that Siddaramaiah's remarks had a connection with the law-and-order issues being discussed in the House and were therefore protected under Article 194(2) of the Constitution. “From the materials produced, it appears that the said statement of the respondent had the relation to the law and order issue raised at the Floor of the House,” the court held.It consequently concluded that Siddaramaiah was immune from criminal prosecution over the flagged remarks.“By such speech, the respondent (Siddaramaiah) has not betrayed the trust on his character, being a legislator, and his statement had the connection to the Governance matter during Legislative debate,” the court said..The court also rejected Kiran's claim that he was an “aggrieved person” entitled to maintain a criminal defamation complaint in this case. Under Section 222(1) of the BNSS, a court can take cognisance of criminal defamation only upon a complaint by a person aggrieved by the offence.Kiran claimed that he was an active RSS member, had participated in shakhas and had been associated with the organisation since his school days. He, therefore, contended that he was personally aggrieved by Siddaramaiah's comments about the RSS. However, the court found that he was not able to provide sufficient material to establish his membership in the RSS.It proceeded to dismiss Kiran's revision petition and uphold the 2025 order dismissing his defamation complaint. .Senior Counsel Vikram Huilgol and Advocate Shathabhish Shivanna represented Siddaramaiah..[Read order]