 After KPCC president Dinesh Gundu Rao questioned him over his achievements as a Union Minister, Hegde referred to Rao as "a guy who ran behind a Muslim lady".In March 2019, he triggered controversy by calling the Congress president, Rahul Gandhi, a “hybrid product that can be found only in Congress laboratory”.He said Gandhi claims to be a Brahmin “despite being born to a Muslim father and a Christian mother”.