Chandu Patil, a BJP leader from Kalaburagi (formerly Gulbarga), Karnataka, has become a prominent face of Hindutva mobilization in the region, repeatedly stirring communal tensions. 

On June 6, 2024, Patil, alongside Bajrang Dal members, attempted a march through Muslim-majority areas, alleging cow slaughter, an old Hindutva playbook tactic. The police intervened, detaining him and others before the situation escalated. That same day, he was also accused of trying to intimidate and assault an on-duty police constable. 

On January 27, 2025, from outside the Gulbarga municipal office, Patil made a public speech targeting Sangtrashwadi, a Muslim-dominated area, labeling it a hub of “illegal nighttime activities.” He warned authorities that unless the local arch was demolished, he would build ten saffron-coloured arches with “Jai Shri Ram” slogans in retaliation. On March 26, 2025, Patil joined other BJP leaders in a protest demanding the scrapping of a 4% reservation for Muslims in government contracts. 

On September 11, 2022, he led a Hindu mob that played provocative songs in front of a mosque, a move clearly aimed at provoking unrest.

The demonstration, staged at the district commissioner’s office, was laced with accusations that the Congress-led government was discriminating against backward classes by favoring Muslims. Patil’s repeated attempts to inflame communal tensions, whether through threats, street protests, or public defamation, reflect a consistent strategy of polarisation rooted in hardline Hindutva.