Bengaluru: Karnataka’s political temperature climbed a few notches on Wednesday after Bengaluru police booked Janata Dal (Secular) spokesperson Prashanthi Subhash over an allegedly defamatory social media post targeting Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar.
According to a report by ABP Live, the FIR was registered at the High Grounds police station on Tuesday following a complaint lodged by Congress leader Kushal Haruvegowda. Police have invoked Sections 192 and 352 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and issued a notice directing the JD(S) spokesperson to appear for questioning as part of the investigation.
The development adds a fresh legal edge to the running Congress-JD(S) confrontation in the state, with social media posts once again at the centre of a dispute between leaders and party functionaries.
What the FIR says
The case was filed on October 20 at Bengaluru’s High Grounds police station, one of the stations that handles matters around Vidhana Soudha and the state secretariat. As reported by ABP Live, the complaint names a social media post by Prashanthi that the Congress alleges is defamatory towards Shivakumar.
As per that report, the police have invoked two BNS provisions:
- Section 192: wantonly giving provocation with the intent to cause a riot.
- Section 352: intentional insult with intent to provoke a breach of peace.
In the notice issued to Prashanthi, the High Grounds police have asked her to present herself for questioning. The report adds that the allegations against her are yet to be established and the investigation is underway.
Prashanthi pushes back
In her reaction, as reported by ABP Live, the JD(S) spokesperson has hit back, accusing the Congress government of trying to suppress dissent and restrict freedom of expression. She said she would contest the matter through legal channels and maintained that she would not be intimidated by the action.
Prashanthi has been one of the more combative faces of the JD(S) in recent days. Earlier this week, in remarks reported by regional media, she alleged that the Congress government was using a sting-operation controversy to target leaders of the Siddaramaiah faction and pointed fingers at Shivakumar’s camp, a charge the ruling party has not accepted.
A pattern, not a one-off
This is not the first time JD(S)-linked social media activity has drawn police action over content aimed at Shivakumar. As reported by ABP Live, a few months ago Bengaluru police registered a case at the Sadashivanagar police station against social media pages linked to the JD(S) over the alleged circulation of a morphed video of Shivakumar.
That complaint was filed by Deepu C.R., a member of the Congress legal cell, under Section 192 of the BNS. According to the FIR, the official JD(S) and ‘Kumaraswamy for CM’ Facebook pages had published a video on June 17 carrying a derogatory message about Shivakumar that read, “Old habits start again. A trait born with someone cannot be washed away even if they are burnt.”
Going further back, The Hindu reported in August 2025 that Bengaluru police had booked the individual managing the JD(S) party’s official X account for allegedly using a fake All India Congress Committee letterhead to spread the false claim that Shivakumar had been expelled from the Congress. That complaint was also registered at the High Grounds police station.
The latest case fits a wider crackdown. As Moneycontrol reported, Karnataka police registered 37 cases against social media users this year over posts deemed derogatory towards politicians, most of them targeting Congress leaders. The figure was revealed by Home Minister G. Parameshwara in a reply in the state assembly in July.
The Congress-JD(S) feud widens
The backdrop is a hardening Congress-JD(S) rivalry. The JD(S), now aligned with the BJP in the state, has turned social media into a sharp weapon against the Congress government, and the ruling party has responded with complaints and cases of its own.
JD(S) leader and Union minister H.D. Kumaraswamy has separately accused the Congress government of targeting his party, adding to a week already packed with allegations and counter-allegations in Bengaluru’s political circles.
With the notice served, the immediate question is how the JD(S) spokesperson responds to the police summons and whether the party escalates the matter politically. For now, both sides appear set on turning a social media post into a full-blown political battle.
FAQs
Who is Prashanthi Subhash?
She is the spokesperson of the Janata Dal (Secular) in Karnataka. Bengaluru police booked her on October 20 over an allegedly defamatory social media post targeting Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar.
Which law has been invoked?
The FIR names Sections 192 and 352 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which deal with provocation intended to cause a riot and intentional insult likely to breach the peace.
Has the JD(S) faced such cases before?
Yes. A few months ago, JD(S)-linked social media pages were booked over an allegedly morphed video of Shivakumar, and in August 2025 the party’s X account handler was booked over a fake AICC letterhead claiming his expulsion.
What has Prashanthi said?
She has accused the Congress government of trying to curb dissent and said she will fight the case legally, adding that she will not be intimidated.
What happens next?
Police have issued her a notice to appear for questioning. The allegations are yet to be established, and the investigation is ongoing.
Informeia will track this story as it develops.
