A Bengaluru court has dismissed a criminal complaint against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, which alleged defamation and violation of religious sentiments stemming from his remarks in the Legislative Assembly regarding the Hindu nationalist groups RSS and Bajrang Dal. The court ruled that the RSS is “admittedly not a religious organisation,” emphasizing that Siddaramaiah’s statements did not pertain to any religion or religious beliefs.
The complaint, filed by advocate Kiran N., who claims an association with the RSS, argued that Siddaramaiah’s comments portrayed the RSS as a criminal organization and insulted its volunteers. However, Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate K.N. Shivakumar noted that the remarks were made in the context of a motion of thanks to the Governor and were addressed in response to opposition allegations concerning law and order.
In its ruling, the court stated that there was no evidence to suggest an intention to harm the reputation of the RSS. It further observed that the allegations did not meet the prima facie requirements for defamation under Sections 299, 352, and 356(2) of the BNS Act, 2023. This conclusion was supported by an extract from the RSS’s official website presented by the complainant, which confirmed that the organization does not identify as a religious entity.
The Chief Minister asserted that his comments were protected under Article 194(2) of the Constitution of India, which allows legislative privilege, and contended that such statements were directed at the RSS organization, which should be the only entity authorized to file a complaint.
The court concurred, indicating that Siddaramaiah’s statements fell within the legislative discourse and were indeed part of the broader governance issues being discussed. The court highlighted that opposition leader R. Ashok supported Siddaramaiah’s comments during the assembly session, further reinforcing the legitimacy of the remarks within that context.
Additionally, the court examined Section 299 of the BNS Act, noting that to constitute an offence, there must be intent to insult the religious feelings of any class of citizens. The judge concluded that Siddaramaiah’s statement, made during a legislative debate on governance and law enforcement, was protected under Article 194(2) of the Constitution.
The remarks that prompted the complaint were made on March 17, 2025, during an assembly debate, where Siddaramaiah stated that “most of those committing crimes are from RSS and Bajrang Dal.” The court deemed that such remarks were made in a legislative context and did not warrant further legal action.
The post “RSS not a religious organisation,” Bengaluru Court dismisses defamation complaint against CM Siddaramaiah appeared first on Maktoob media.
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