Karnataka High Court Quashes Criminal Case Against BJP President JP Nadda For Remarks Made At Election Rally

The Karnataka High Court on Thursday (November 7) quashed a criminal case registered against BJP national president J P Nadda relating to certain remarks made at an election rally in April, 2023 for allegedly unduly influencing voters.

A single judge bench of Justice M Nagaprasanna allowed the petition and quashed the offence registered under Sections 171F(Punishment for undue influence or personation at an election), 171C (Undue influence at elections) of the IPC and Section 123(2) (Undue influence) of the Representation of the People Act at the Shiggaon police station. On October 12, 2023 the high court had stayed further investigation in the case.

The complaint filed by the member of the flying squad of Election Commission stated that at a rally held on April 19, 2023 at the Shiggaon Taluk playground, Nadda had allegedly threatened voters that if they did not support the BJP, they would be deprived of the largesses from the Central government.

In August 2023 the high court had quashed a similar complaint against Nadda for allegedly wooing and threatening voters during an election rally held in May ahead of Assembly elections.

The court had then said that it had found the allegations in the complaint to be "vague" adding, “On such a vague complaint which is loosely made against the petitioner, the crime in Crime No.89 of 2023 is registered and the damocles sword of crime is left hanging on the petitioner projecting it to be an offence.”

Case Title: J P Nadda AND State of Karnataka

Case No: WP 22933/2023

Citation No: 2024 LiveLaw (Kar) 460