A court here has issued a notice to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge in a Rs 100-crore defamation case filed against him for “defamatory” remarks against the Bajrang Dal and comparing it to the outlawed PFI in his party’s Karnataka poll manifesto.

The notice was issued on May 12 on a petition filed by Hindu Suraksha Parishad national president Hitesh Bhardwaj. The date for filing of reply has been fixed for July 10.

“The respondent issued an election manifesto before the state of Karnataka for the elections. In the said manifesto, at para number 10, the defendant issued defamatory statements against the Bajrang Dal, a unit of the Hindu Suraksha Parishad, by declaring to ban the organisation and comparing it to outlawed organisations like the Popular Front of India (PFI)...,” the petitioner has submitted.

The Centre banned the PFI last year.

The petitioner’s lawyer, Lalit Garg, on Monday said Bhardwaj had filed the defamation suit a few days ago.

“The comparison of the Bajrang Dal with the PFI has impaired the name and honour of the members of the Bajrang Dal and the Hindu Suraksha Parishad, who number in the crores,” he said.

The petitioner has demanded special damages for injury inflicted to their reputation and honour and “filed a Rs 100-crore defamation suit”, Bhardwaj’s counsel said.