He is primarily known for his advocacy on caste-based representation, Dalit-Bahujan rights, and his critical analysis of the lack of diversity in Indian media. Mandal is a vocal critic of "upper-caste hegemony" in mainstream media. He frequently advocates for reservations and the democratization of information through digital Dalit-Bahujan platforms. Dilip Mandal’s work primarily analyses the intersection of corporate interests, media representation, and social hierarchy.
He was appointed as the Media Advisor to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in August 2024. His role involves creating pro-Dalit and pro-OBC narratives for the government, representing the administration in public debates, and performing public relations work. In his current role, Mandal uses platforms like X (formerly Twitter) to bridge the gap between Dalit-Bahujan politics and the BJP's national narrative. While once a sharp critic of the BJP, he has more recently been described as a "pro-Modi voice," supporting initiatives like the election of President Draupadi Murmu as a milestone for tribal representation. Since his appointment as a Media Advisor to the government in 2024, his social media commentary has shifted toward defending government policies while continuing to critique traditional power structures.
His appointment as media advisor initially faced pushback from some right-wing circles due to his past criticisms of Hindutva politics, leading to reports that the appointment was temporarily put on hold before being formalised.
In early 2025, he stoked controversy by claiming that Fatima Sheikh (an 19th-century educator) was a "fabricated character" he had created, which led to The Print withdrawing his previous articles on Fatima Sheikh. Mandal triggered a major debate by claiming the 19th-century educator Fatima Sheikh was a "fabricated character" he had personally created for an article years earlier. This led to outlets like The Print withdrawing his past work on her while investigations proceeded.
His anti-Brahmin thought process is evident in his writeup. For example, in a tweet on 29th April 2023, he projected Upanayana / Janeu / Yagyopavit is discriminatory. He argued that Upanayana and Yagnopavit as a caste marker and bestowing it to an innocent upper caste child make them feel superior over others. And he said this is hierarchical, hegemonic becomes his primary socialisation and he concluded that it is problematic.
In early May of 2026, Ajeet Bharti, an active social media contributor, posted a tweet attributed to Dileep Mandal which interpreted Bengal win as defeat of Muslim, Savarna and Nehruvian coalition. Dileep Mandal is accused of misinterpreting the Bengal win and attributing his personal agenda of anti-Savarna stance to the BJP. He recently claimed that the 2026 West Bengal election results represented a "social verdict" from SC/ST communities, noting the BJP's sweep of reserved seats as a rejection of parties that "patronise" marginalized groups.
