Kharge Rejects ‘Hate Speech’ Charges, Questions Court Jurisdiction in Fresh Legal Twist

New Delhi: Mallikarjun Kharge, President of the Indian National Congress, has filed his response before a special MP-MLA court at Rouse Avenue Court, denying allegations in a revision petition related to an alleged inflammatory speech case.

Not only did Kharge refute all charges, but he also questioned the jurisdiction of the court hearing the revision plea. The matter pertains to an alleged provocative speech delivered during a political rally in Karnataka in April 2023, where remarks were reportedly made against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

During the hearing held on Thursday in Delhi, Kharge’s counsel argued that the special MP-MLA court does not have the authority to hear the revision petition. The lawyer contended that such jurisdiction lies with the Principal District and Sessions Judge at Tis Hazari Court, not the current court.

In his written response, Kharge denied allegations of promoting enmity between communities. The court, presided over by Special Judge Jitendra Singh, took the response on record and scheduled the matter for arguments on April 15.

The revision petition was filed by advocate Ravinder Gupta through counsel Gagan Gandhi. Gupta, who is also associated with the RSS, had alleged that Kharge made inflammatory and hate-filled remarks against the RSS and BJP during an election rally in Karnataka.

Earlier, on November 11, 2025, the Tis Hazari Court had dismissed the criminal complaint against Kharge, refusing to take cognizance of the case. Prior to that, in December 2024, the court had also declined to direct the registration of an FIR against him.

The case now takes a fresh legal turn, with questions over jurisdiction and the validity of the revision petition set to be debated in the upcoming hearing.