Dr. Kirodi Lal Meena, popularly known as Kirodi Baba, is a tribal leader and member of the far-right Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He has served four terms in the legislative assembly of Rajasthan and two terms in the Lok Sabha (Union Parliament). Currently, he holds a position in the upper house of the Parliament of India (Rajya Sabha).

Following the ‘Modi-Wave’ in 2014, which marked significant political triumphs for the BJP under the leadership of Narendra Modi, hardliner Hindu extremist leaders like Meena gained prominence. Since then, he has been a prominent face of anti-minority leadership in the state of Rajasthan, and he has maintained a strong base among the Hindu far right throughout his tenure. 

Meena has been repeatedly charged with criminal activity. In December 2017, he and his supporters were charged under the CrPc 151 (prevention of cognizable offense) for attempting to forcibly enter a private religious institution in Shanwali Village, Jaipur, Rajasthan. Several cases have been registered against Meena across Rajasthan, involving various crimes such as rioting, unlawful assembly, endangering life, and abetting the commission of public offenses, as reported by the Hindustan Times.

Meena is also a frequent participant in anti-Muslim and Hindu extremist rallies and protests, delivering incendiary speeches and genocidal rhetoric. Various videos on Facebook show him and his supporters intimidating and threatening Muslims as well as others who oppose Hindu extremism.

In March 2022, he shared a video on his social media account featuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi discussing the propaganda movie “The Kashmir File,” which triggered widespread anti-Muslim sentiment and hate speech. In the post, Meena wrote, “[Those who wave] flags of Freedom of Expression are in panic,” poking fun at activists who have pushed back against hate speech as well as the Modi regime’s repression of dissent. 

In October 2023, at an event in Jaipur, Rajasthan, Meena delivered a hate speech targeting Muslims and Muslim politicians by labeling them as ‘Jihadis,’ anti-national, and heretics. He further called on attendees to prepare for a ‘Mahabharata,’ referencing a battle between good and evil in Hindu scriptures, implying that Muslims were the “evil” to be battled against.