Madan Thakur is a key Hindutva leader in Himachal Pradesh, leading anti-Muslim campaigns in the name of protecting “Hindu values in Devbhoomi.” He is the president of Devbhoomi Sangharsh Samiti, a year-old organisation that has been at the forefront of protests against mosques and Muslim communities in the state. On September 1, 2023, Thakur led the first protest in Sanjauli, Shimla, claiming that Muslim religious gatherings at the local mosque were a threat. He admitted that after hearing about a fight in Malyana, his group decided to “take it forward.”

Thakur claims that 50,000 to 60,000 people are part of his organisation across Himachal Pradesh, organising protests in their own towns and villages. He is also the president of Devbhoomi Sawarn Sangathan, which demands an upper-caste commission in the state to represent upper-caste interests—similar to how the minority commission represents religious minorities. His WhatsApp and Facebook profile pictures openly call for the boycott of Muslims, with a message that says, “If you want a bright future for your kids and women, then economically and socially boycott Muslims and those supporting them.”

Under his leadership, Devbhoomi Sangharsh Samiti is running a door-to-door campaign, urging Hindus to stop renting their homes and shops to Muslims and to cut all business ties with them. Thakur has said openly that he wants to drive Muslims out of Himachal Pradesh, comparing it to the ethnic cleansing of Rohingyas in Myanmar. “We have to clean our home,” he said, adding, “I don’t need permission from the Constitution or any political party.”

On July 18, 2023, Thakur posted a picture of Muslims at a mosque on Facebook, claiming they would soon take over businesses and establish relationships with local Hindu women. His social media posts are filled with anti-Muslim hate speech. His influence goes beyond Shimla. In September 2023, Devbhoomi Jagran Manch, another Hindutva outfit, held large demonstrations against a mosque in Kullu, distributing pamphlets asking Hindus to boycott Muslim workers, shopkeepers, and barbers. The pamphlets also told Hindu women to only give their clothes for stitching to Hindu tailors and to “keep a watch on outsiders.”

Thakur has a record of being involved in violence. In March 2022, he was arrested along with Rumit Thakur (leader of Dev Bhumi Kshatriya Sangathan) after leading a violent protest in Shimla, where five police officers were injured. The protest was originally about upper-caste reservation in government jobs, but turned violent when protesters attacked police officers, broke barricades, and pelted stones. Thakur and his associates were arrested and were charged with attempted murder, rioting, and destruction of public property.

Despite his arrest, Thakur continues to push his anti-Muslim campaign across Himachal Pradesh, using social media and mass protests to spread his message. His organisations, Devbhoomi Sangharsh Samiti and Devbhoomi Sawarn Sangathan, have been at the center of organised boycotts, hate speech, and street-level violence, working to turn Himachal into a stronghold of Hindutva politics.