Islamophobic Remarks :
Indian politician Gopal Nagarkatte has been associated with the Hindu militant organization Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) for more than 20 years. He currently holds the position of Joint National Secretary for the VHP. It is well known that Nagarkatte holds extreme opinions and is anti-Muslim; he uses his powerful position in the VHP to further these ideas. He was a key figure in the VHP’s Ram Janmabhoomi Movement in the 1990s, which culminated in the iconic Babri mosque being destroyed by Hindu mobs in 1992.
Nagarkatte has continuously promoted anti-Muslim views in a variety of public settings, such as rallies and marches, frequently using divisive language and conspiratorial beliefs. In several of his talks, he urges Hindus to band together to face perceived Muslim threats. Interestingly, Nagarkatte has been active on social media, utilizing sites like Twitter to disseminate misinformation about Muslims with hashtags like #savehindugirls, #justice4hindugirl, and #hindukhatreme.
While leading the VHP in Karnataka, Nagarkatte vigorously resisted attempts by the state government to outlaw superstitious customs that were common among Hindu communities. He openly denounced such measures, charging that the government is anti-Hindu and that its goal is to destroy customary cultural customs by outlawing superstitions.
Before the 2018 state assembly election, Nagarkatte urged Hindus to cast their votes only for Hindu candidates. He underlined the necessity of having a government that is “pro-Hindu” and denounced the current Congress administration for supposedly being “anti-Hindu.”
He posted on X in September 2022, calling Muslims “Jihadis” who “trap” Hindu women to force them to convert to Islam and reduce the number of Hindus.
Nagarkatte publicly boasted in October 2022 of his participation in the Babri Masjid demolition in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, emphasizing his role in organizing karsevaks (footsoldiers) from his community to take part in the demolition.
At the VHP-hosted Akhand Bharat Sankalpana Divas event in Ayodhya in August 2023, Nagarkatte gave a speech in which he urged participants to equip themselves for self-defense against alleged threats from Christians and Muslims. In addition, he threatened to use violence against these populations in the event that they stood in the way of the VHP’s plans to create a Hindu Rashtra.
As a right-wing thinker, Nagarkatte routinely appears on local news networks and public programs, utilizing these platforms to incite hatred and fear towards minorities. He was exposed spreading conspiracy theories and anti-Muslim propaganda to demonize Muslims at one such gathering in Udupi, Karnataka.