Gautam Ravariya is a Vishwa Hindu Parishad-Bajrang Dal leader and a Hindutva figure in Maharashtra, known for his inflammatory speeches targeting Muslims and religious minorities. He has repeatedly used public platforms to spread hate speech, promote Islamophobic conspiracy theories, and justify anti-Muslim violence. His role in multiple events across Maharashtra in 2024 cemented his status as one of the most aggressive proponents of Hindutva extremism.

On September 3, 2024, in Navi Mumbai, Ravariya delivered a speech demonizing Rohingya refugees and Bangladeshi immigrants, falsely claiming that there were 100 million “infiltrators” in India. He framed Muslims as a threat to the nation, accusing them of plotting to “take over” through migration. This speech was laced with fear-mongering and aimed at stoking communal tensions, a tactic he has repeatedly employed in his public appearances.

A month earlier, on August 7, 2024, Ravariya participated in a protest demonstration organized by the Sakal Hindu Samaj and VHP-Bajrang Dal at Anand Dighe Chowk, Bhiwandi. The crowd, fueled by his speech, chanted violent anti-Muslim slogans, calling for the killing of “jihadis” and urging Hindu women to reject Muslim identity symbols. Ravariya pushed the widely debunked conspiracies of “love jihad” and “land jihad,” both used as pretexts for targeting and attacking Muslim communities. His speeches consistently blend Hindutva propaganda with direct incitement, creating an atmosphere of hostility and fear.

On December 15, 2024, at a VHP-Bajrang Dal Shurya Sanchalan event in Mumbai, Ravariya glorified the demolition of the Babri Masjid, calling it a correction of a “historical wrong.” His speech framed the destruction as an act of Hindu resurgence and justified similar violence in the name of reclaiming religious sites.

At the same event, his associate, Monk Vidyanand Maharaj, openly encouraged violence against Muslims, suggesting that Maharashtra had not seen a riot in too long. The crowd responded with chants of “Desh ke gaddaro ko goli maaro,” to which Ravariya did not object. Instead, he reinforced the idea that Muslims were permanent outsiders, not to be seen as traitors but as enemies. Bajrang Dal leader Vivek Kulkarni followed suit, delivering another speech in the same vein, amplifying the same themes of religious war and supremacist ideology.

Ravariya’s Hindutva extremism is not limited to anti-Muslim hate speech; he has also targeted Christians under the pretext of opposing religious conversions. In October 2024, he issued a warning to the management of Millennium Club in Mumbai’s Juhu area, demanding that Christian prayer meetings be stopped.

He accused the gatherings of being covert conversion attempts and pressured the club to shut them down. This came shortly after a similar controversy at Khar Gymkhana, where the membership of cricketer Jemimah Rodrigues was revoked over accusations of her father’s alleged involvement in Christian missionary activities. Ravariya’s statements to the press made it clear that his opposition was not just to conversion but to any visible presence of religious minorities in public spaces.