Vidyanand Maharaj, a monk with an engineering degree from IIT Kharagpur, holds significant positions within the Hindutva ecosystem—as the founder and Global Chairman of the World Hindu Economic Forum and the Joint General Secretary of the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP). 

On December 15, 2024, in Mumbai, he delivered a venomous anti-Muslim speech that pushed the boundaries of incitement. Glorifying Hari Singh Nalwa, a historical figure known for his brutal campaigns against Muslims, Vidyanand invoked a legacy of violence, not as history but as a call to action. 

He blamed the supposed boldness of Muslims in Maharashtra on the absence of anti-Muslim riots, and fed into bloodlust by endorsing the infamous chant “Desh ke gaddaron ko goli maaro,” widely used by Hindutva mobs as a death threat against Muslims. But he went a step further, correcting the crowd—not to soften the tone but to sharpen it—saying Muslims shouldn’t be called traitors, because they were never one of “us” to begin with. They are, according to him, eternal enemies.