Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat is a powerful RSS leader from Karnataka’s Dakshina Kannada district and one of the most hardline Hindutva figures in the region. Known for his provocative speeches, Bhat has repeatedly used public platforms to incite violence, target Muslims, and glorify majoritarian dominance. 

On May 12, 2025, while speaking at a condolence event in Bantwal for Hindutva activist Suhas Shetty, he told a crowd of 500 Hindus to keep swords at home and claimed that Hindus must also kill, not just flee, during communal clashes. “We don’t accept the killing of cows. So many of our youngsters have risen against that. They’re not rowdies; they’re patriots. They protect dharma.” He then made abusive remarks about the Beary Muslim community, saying, “Bearys are the ones who instigate conversions. Bearys are the ones who attack… If we are not prepared for this, if we are not ready to protest, you don’t need to fear. Humans will die either today or tomorrow, and Suhas knew this and carried out his struggle.”

Encouraging violent retaliation, Bhat said, “We are not the children of foxes or dogs. We are the children of lions. Suhas lived as the son of a lion. It is important that we live in that tradition and work towards carrying out that vision… Don’t be afraid that cases will be booked against you. We will face what has to be faced. Don’t run away, this is not the time to run.” He accused Muslims of arming themselves with Hindu money: “It is with our money that they buy talwars, it is with our money that they buy rods, it is with our money they buy pistols.”

This was not a one-off. On December 26, 2023, during a Hanuman Jayanti event in Mandya, he made Islamophobic remarks about a hijab-wearing student, falsely linking her to Al-Qaeda, and warned that terrorists would arrive in Mandya. Bhat said, “If you want to say ‘Allahu Akbar’, say it in your house or at the mosque. If you want to be here, you should chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’.” He also accused hijab-wearing student Muskan Khan of being linked to Al-Qaeda, claiming, “Al-Qaeda has given money and support to Muskan. She has contact with the terror organisation… terrorists will be coming to Mandya.”

On March 21, 2022, during a Hindu unity march organized by the VHP in Kuttar, he claimed, “Someday the saffron flag might be our national flag, it can and should happen if Hindu samaj comes together.”

Back in 2020, Bhat referred to Ullal in Mangaluru as “Pakistan” due to its Muslim population, and warned, “We must increase our population to protect our temples. Otherwise, who will protect our temples and our culture?”

He openly promotes a Hindu-first state and has also used schools under his trust to promote Hindutva ideology, most notably in 2019, when a student play at his school reenacted the demolition of the Babri Masjid.

Despite several cases against him for hate speech, Bhat remains politically protected. In 2017, BJP leader B.S. Yediyurappa warned of statewide violence if Bhat were arrested, proving his deep clout within Karnataka’s right-wing ecosystem. He is a mentor to top BJP leaders, runs educational institutions that double as ideological camps, and continues to spread communal hatred under the guise of protecting Hindu culture.