Gym trainer Deepak Kumar, popularly known as “Mohammad Deepak,” met Rahul Gandhi after going viral for defending a Muslim shopkeeper in Kotdwar from alleged harassment by Bajrang Dal activists.
Gandhi praised Deepak’s courage and unity message, met his family, and said he would visit Kotdwar and take membership in his gym.
Following the incident, Deepak reportedly faced a drop in gym memberships and received death threats, prompting police to file an FIR over a Rs 2 lakh bounty allegedly announced against him.
Deepak Kumar, a gym trainer from Uttarakhand who went viral after defending a Muslim shopkeeper from alleged harassment by Bajrang Dal activists, met Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Monday.
Kumar, who has since been widely referred to on social media as “Mohammad Deepak,” had intervened on January 26 when a 70-year-old shopkeeper in Kotdwar was confronted over the name of his store, “Baba School Dress and Matching Centre.” Bajrang Dal members had claimed that the use of the word “Baba” insulted a local deity. During the heated exchange, Kumar sarcastically identified himself as “Mohammad Deepak,” a remark that quickly went viral online.
Sharing photos from their meeting on Instagram, Rahul Gandhi praised Kumar’s actions, saying he displayed “the fire of unity and courage that should burn in every Indian youth.”
“Every human being is equal. This is Indianness, this is the shop of love [mohobbat ki dukaan],” Gandhi wrote.
Speaking after the meeting, Kumar said Gandhi had invited him to Delhi and reassured him about his actions. “Rahul Gandhi ji called me here today. He spoke to my wife and family and assured me that what I did was right and that I should not be afraid,” Kumar said. “He also said he would travel to Kotdwar and take membership in my gym. It will be a matter of great happiness for me if he comes.”
Kumar added that Gandhi also introduced him to former Congress president Sonia Gandhi during the visit. “I have nothing to do with politics. It feels good that someone understands I raised my voice for humanity,” he said, noting that the situation in Kotdwar has improved since the incident.
Following the controversy, there were reports that membership at Kumar’s gym declined sharply. Earlier this month, Uttarakhand Police registered a first information report (FIR) against a man accused of announcing a ₹2 lakh reward for killing Kumar.
According to police, the FIR was filed under Section 351(3) (threat to cause death or grievous hurt) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) based on Kumar’s complaint. In his statement, Kumar said he saw a video circulating on social media in which an individual allegedly threatened him and announced the reward. He told police that he and his family had been living in fear as the video spread across platforms including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
