Karnataka High Court Calls Case Against Rahul Gandhi Abuse of Law

Rahul Gandhi is finally out of the woods. On February 17, 2026, the Karnataka High Court nuked a criminal case against him. It was all about those “40% commission” ads from the 2023 elections. You know the ones - they called the BJP government a bunch of bribe-takers. Justice Sunil Dutt Yadav didn't mince words. He said keeping the case alive would be an “abuse of the process of law.” Every single proceeding against Rahul is now officially dead.

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A BJP guy named Keshav Prasad started this whole mess. He claimed the “Corruption Rate Card” ads were total fiction and “fanciful.” The ads were huge, splashed across every front page in May 2023. They alleged the BJP charged a 40% cut on every public contract. This helped the Congress win big, but it left a nasty legal trail. Along with Rahul, CM Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar were dragged into it. They even had to go to court for bail last year.

Rahul’s lawyers fought back hard. They said you can't prove he personally posted the ads. More importantly, they argued that hating a government's work isn't a crime. Criticism is protected. The High Court totally agreed. The judge noted that the BJP, as a party, shouldn't even be the one suing here. If individual people were hurt, they should’ve filed. A political party can't just claim defamation whenever it gets roasted in an election ad.

The BJP is obviously fuming. They think their name got dragged through the mud for nothing. But the court found the legal steps were also botched. Since Rahul lives in Delhi and not Karnataka, the lower court should’ve done more homework before calling him a criminal. This is a massive win for the Leader of the Opposition. It clears his plate of a major headache from three years ago. The “commission” drama is legally over for him. It’s a big day for free speech in politics.

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