Bengaluru Court Summons Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM DK Shivakumar Over 2022 Protest

Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM DK Shivakumar have been summoned by a Bengaluru court over their participation in a 2022 protest against the ED's questioning of Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald case.

In a significant legal development, a Bengaluru court has issued summons to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, instructing them to appear before the court on August 29, 2024. The summons are in connection with a case related to their participation in a protest held in 2022.

The protest, organized by the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee in June 2022, was a demonstration against what the Congress described as the "unnecessary harassment" of party leader Rahul Gandhi by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The ED had been questioning Gandhi in connection with the National Herald case, a situation that led to widespread protests by Congress leaders across the country.

Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar, defying prohibitory orders, took part in the protest, which was held in Bengaluru. The demonstration led to the filing of a case at the Wilson Garden Police Station, where it was alleged that the protest disrupted public peace and was conducted without proper permission from the authorities.

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While a similar case filed at the Shivajinagar Police Station was dismissed by the Karnataka High Court, the case linked to the Wilson Garden protest has persisted. The court's recent summons to the state’s top leaders mark a significant escalation in the legal proceedings stemming from the 2022 protest.

The situation continues to draw public attention as it involves high-profile political figures in Karnataka, raising questions about the balance between political expression and legal boundaries.