Bhujang Kulal, a Vishwa Hindu Parishad activist from Karnataka, has come under the spotlight for making inflammatory, communal speeches aimed at deepening hatred and sparking unrest. On May 25, 2024, during a VHP rally held in Bajpe, Mangalore, Kulal delivered a provocative speech demanding a National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe into the May 1 murder of Suhas Shetty, a former Bajrang Dal worker and double-murder accused.

The event, packed with VHP and Bajrang Dal supporters, quickly turned into a platform for openly threatening speeches against Muslims. Kulal, along with orator Shrikanth Shetty and other VHP leaders, was booked under multiple serious charges including rioting, criminal intimidation, and unlawful assembly under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Karnataka Police Act.

As tensions flared following the murder of 32-year-old Abdul Rehman in Bantwal taluk, protests erupted outside a hospital on May 27, where demonstrators blocked the Police Commissioner’s vehicle and demanded arrests of those responsible for inciting hate at the Bajpe rally.

That same evening, Bajpe police arrested Kulal and produced him before a magistrate at home. He was released on bail the next day, while Shetty remained absconding. Kulal’s role in using public platforms to incite fear and provoke communal violence places him firmly among the growing list of Hindutva foot soldiers.