Mateen Patel, a Congress leader from Kalaburagi, is facing a police inquiry after a social media reel showing him brandishing weapons went viral. Patel is filmed copying a scene from a gripping movie. He's a former Zilla Panchayat member and a close aide of Afzalpur Congress MLA M.Y. Patil, and has triggered a debate about the growth of a "gun culture" in politics.
The "Dhurandhar" Inspiration
In the video, Patel enters in a grand fashion in a black SUV, impersonating the character Rehman Dakait (played by Akshaye Khanna) from the 2026 hit film Dhurandhar. With the song Fa9la playing in the background, Patel and his compatriots bear what appears to be a pistol and a modern automatic rifle. The reel, it is said, was recorded during one of the family wedding celebrations.
A display of “gun culture” by a #Congress leader in #Kalaburagi district has now become a major topic of debate.
— Hate Detector 🔍 (@HateDetectors) February 10, 2026
A Congress leader named Mateen Patel, said to be a close associate of #Afzalpur Assembly constituency MLA #MYPatil, is at the center of the controversy after videos… pic.twitter.com/hFASTKkwuH
Police Response and Investigation
Kalaburagi Police Commissioner Sharanappa S. D. confirmed that the video has received suo motu notice by the department.
- Verification of Weapons: Forensic experts and local officers are at work determining whether the displayed firearms in the reel are real or merely replicas.
- Licensing Check: "If real weapons are there, we will check for valid licenses and whether the conditions of those licenses were violated by public display," the Commissioner said.
- Jurisdiction: On the actual site of the shooting, authorities have been making the decision to file a case under the relevant portions of the Arms Act.
The Leader’s Line of Defense: “It Was a Toy.”
Mateen Patel, criticized for the video, made a clarification that the weapons in it were merely toy guns or lighters shaped like guns. This reel, he argued, was created at a private event for his niece’s wedding at a sangeet reception exclusively geared to family entertainment. Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara, however, has indicated that the law will proceed ahead of the "toy" allegation, adding that showing weapons in public causes fear and violence.
