Madhu Kishwar calls Mahesh Vikram Hegde ‘mercenary hit man’ amid explosive allegations

Bengaluru

A fierce and deeply personal public spat has broken out on X (formerly Twitter) between academic and activist Madhu Purnima Kishwar and right wing activist Mahesh Vikram Hegde, with both trading serious allegations that have quickly drawn political attention.

This development comes days after Kishwar issued statements against Prime Minister Narendra Modi over MP tickets and ministerial berth to women. 

The controversy was triggered after Hegde posted a detailed post recounting his alleged interactions with Kishwar dating back to 2014. He claimed that Kishwar had privately expressed disappointment over not being nominated to the Rajya Sabha despite promoting the work of Narendra Modi during his rise to power. Hegde further alleged that she had advised him to stop supporting the BJP after he was jailed during the 2018–19 Karnataka political turmoil, and later attempted to connect him with a Kashmiri Muslim for funding—an offer he said he rejected on ideological grounds.

In a strongly worded rebuttal, Kishwar categorically denied ever having such conversations or even maintaining contact with Hegde. Calling his claims “shameful lies” and a “paid hit job,” she publicly challenged him to produce evidence of any such exchanges. She reiterated a standing offer of ₹1 crore to anyone who could prove she had ever sought political favours, including a Rajya Sabha seat.

Escalating the confrontation, Kishwar questioned Hegde’s credibility and dismissed his account as “full of holes,” asserting she had no recollection of meeting him and describing him as a “non-entity.” She also accused him of attempting to malign her reputation and went further to label him a “mercenary hit man,” suggesting he could face consequences similar to what she claimed were past attempts to silence her through online abuse.

The exchange quickly spiraled into a broader political narrative, with Kishwar alleging that she had been targeted by supporters of Modi for her statement against him, while Hegde insinuated that her criticism of recent portrayals of the Prime Minister—particularly in the context of the film Dhurandhar—may be influenced by external interests.