Mahesh Pavale, a staunch Hindutva leader affiliated with the Bharatiya Janata Party in Pune, has been consistently involved in public mobilisations marked by anti-minority aggression and calls for Hindu unity under the banner of religious nationalism. His political presence in the Karve Nagar area is defined by street-level militancy and provocative social media messaging that targets Muslims and Christians while pushing for exclusionary policies like the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC).

On May 10, 2025, Pavale allegedly led a mob that violently disrupted a peaceful pro-Palestine protest in Pune’s Karve Nagar. Organized by members of the Indian People in Solidarity with Palestine and BDS India, the demonstration aimed to raise awareness about the genocide in Gaza and promote a boycott of multinational companies operating in occupied Palestinian territories. The protestors, mostly young activists, were handing out pamphlets outside a Domino’s outlet when Pavale and another BJP leader, Sagar Dhame, reportedly arrived with a crowd of 50 to 100 people. Protesters were physically assaulted with cricket bats and stones. Despite the violence, the police detained four protestors and refused to act against the attackers, an incident that underscored the political protection Pavale enjoys.

In December 2024, he posted a series of inflammatory videos on Facebook. In one, he announced a so-called “Hindu Protection Movement” under the caption “ It’s time to show once again that Hindus can unite for Hindus by protesting against Hindu atrocities in Bangladesh.” In the video, Pavale accused Muslims in Bangladesh of oppressing Hindus, destroying temples, and jailing those who pray. A week later, on December 17, 2024, he again invoked these claims while leading a street protest in Pune’s Kothrud area. The gathering, held in the name of the “Hindu Raksha Movement,” saw participation from multiple Hindutva groups and was used as a platform to aggressively demand the immediate implementation of the CAA and NRC.

Earlier that month, on December 10, 2024, Pavale had uploaded yet another video targeting Christians, accusing missionaries of engaging in religious conversions in Karve Nagar. He praised “aware Hindus” who, according to his post, disrupted a prayer gathering in Gosavi Colony and filed complaints against the involved missionaries at the Alankar Police Station. “Congratulations to all Hindutva activists,” he wrote, celebrating the harassment of a minority group under the guise of vigilance.