Bengaluru: Amid the growing list of troubles mounting for the Congress Party, a Special Court of Representatives on Friday summoned the top Congress leaders in Karnataka – Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and Party leader Rahul Gandhi – to appear before it on March 28, over allegations of derogatory advertisements against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), in the run up to the Karnataka Assembly Elections held last year.

The court issued summons to the Congress leaders after conducting an inquiry, following a complaint by Vinod Kumar, lawyer representing the BJP side, in which he had alleged that the Congress had put out false advertisements against the BJP leaders, including the then Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai. The "false" advertisements harmed the BJP's reputation, Kumar had argued in court.

Special judge J Preeth also directed the registration of a criminal case against the accused persons, including the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee, news agency PTI reported.

During the Karnataka Assembly elections last year, the Congress had accused the BJP of "40 percent corruption" and placed several advertisements in newspapers alleging corruption by the then ruling party.

Additionally, a poster campaign was launched targetting Bommai by displaying 'PayCM' posters with the then CM’s images across the city. The Congress had also published a 'corruption rate card' against the former government.

The BJP had filed a defamation case against the Congress leaders after the Assembly elections, alleging that the advertisements damaged the party's image. 

After hearing the arguments, the 42nd Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) court ordered the Congress leaders to appear before it on March 28 in connection with the case, the PTI report said.