In a legal sweep that silenced two hate speech charges, the Karnataka High Court on Friday struck down criminal proceedings against former Chief Minister and BJP stalwart Basavaraj Bommai over controversial remarks made during a fiery 2024 protest rally.
Bommai had stirred the hornet’s nest last November, standing before a BJP-led crowd and accusing the Waqf Board—and the Congress-run state government—of snatching land from temples and farmers. His most quoted jab: “If a stone is thrown in Savanur, wherever it falls, it is Waqf land.”
That line landed him in legal hot water. Two complaints soon followed, accusing Bommai of stoking communal tension under Section 196(1)(a) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.
But Justice SR Krishna Kumar wasn’t convinced.
Calling the complaints “vague,” “laconic,” and little more than empty allegations, the judge ruled that letting the cases drag on would be a clear misuse of the justice system. “Quashed,” he said—clearly and conclusively.
The ruling, however, draws a line in the legal sand. It shields Bommai alone, leaving any co-accused to face the music solo.
Bommai’s legal defense was helmed by Senior Advocate Prabhuling Navadgi, with paperwork steered by advocate Shivaparasad Shantanagoudar.
For now, Bommai walks free—words intact, cases gone, and courtroom silence restored.
