In a big relief for Rahul Gandhi, the Karnataka High Court on February 17 quashed a criminal defamation case filed by the BJP. The case was based on ads published during the 2023 Karnataka Assembly elections that criticized the BJP government. These ads labeled the BJP as a ‘40% sarkar’ and accused it of looting over ₹1,50,000 crore between 2019-2023. BJP filed the complaint in June 2023, naming Rahul Gandhi as accused number 4 alongside Siddaramaiah and D.K. Shivakumar. Gandhi challenged the case’s legality, arguing the ads were fair criticism protected under Section 499 of the Indian Penal Code. The court agreed, stating continuing proceedings would amount to legal abuse. It also ruled that only the state government can file defamation cases on behalf of public officials, not a private party like BJP. Earlier, Gandhi appeared before a special court in June 2023 following summons, and was later exempted from personal appearance during trial in December 2024. The High Court had stayed proceedings in January 2025. This verdict supports free political speech and pushes back against misuse of defamation laws for political rivalry.