India, July 11 -- The Karnataka high court has halted the criminal defamation trial against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in a case filed by the BJP's state unit over ads by the Congress alleging corruption by the BJP's previous government.

The interim relief to Siddaramaiah means the trial court proceedings are now stayed, while the HC hears the matter.

It was in the Congress campaign ads before the 2023 assembly elections that the BJP's regime was called "40 per cent commission sarkar", implying that the party took kickbacks.

Siddaramaiah's deputy and state Congress president DK Shivakumar, and party leader Rahul Gandhi, were already given similar relief in the case, India Today reported.

The contentious ads in several newspapers also...