A 1994 incident called the 'mini-Ayodhya' of Karnataka fuelled the rise of Pralhad Joshi. Protesters led by BJP leader Uma Bharati had forcibly tried to hoist the Tricolour at Hubballi's Idgah Maidan, which led to the deaths of six people in police firing and inflamed communal tensions. After this, Joshi was made BJP’s district president and, subsequently, its general secretary.