E-Paper
'Rahul Gandhi said he'll join my gym': ‘Mohammad Deepak’ after meeting Congress leader
Gym trainer Deepak Kumar from Uttarakhand's Kotdwar became a social media sensation after defending a Muslim shopkeeper from Bajrang Dal members on January 26.
Gym trainer Deepak, who became a social media sensation after defending a Muslim shopkeeper in Uttarakhand's Kotdwar, met Congress MP and Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi on Monday.
Rahul Gandhi told Deepak he would take membership of his gym.
Deepak Kumar, who now is popularly also referred to as ‘Mohammad Deepak’, stepped in to defend a 70-year-old shopkeeper being harassed by Bajrang Dal activists over his shop’s name, ‘Baba School Dress and Matching Centre’ on January 26.
Sharing glimpses from his meeting with Deepak, Rahul Gandhi said on his Instagram account that the gym trainer 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],” said Rahul Gandhi.
A video of Deepak confronting Bajrang Dal activists went viral on social media.
Watch the video
The Bajrang Dal activists claimed the word ‘Baba’ insulted a local deity. During the heated exchange, Kumar sarcastically identified himself as “Mohammad Deepak,” a clip of which went viral.
'Rahul Gandhi said he'll take gym membership'
“Rahul Gandhi ji had called me here today. He spoke to my wife and family, and assured me that what I did was good and that I should not have any fear. He also said that he would travel to Kotdwar and take a membership in my gym. It will be a matter of great happiness for me if he comes to my gym” Deepak said, after meeting the Congress leader on Monday.
"Today, the situation [in Kotdwar] is better than before. Rahul ji made me meet Sonia ji as well. I have nothing to do with politics. It is good to know that someone understands that I raised my voice for humanity," he said.
There were reports of Deepak's gym seeing a sharp drop in members after the incident.
Uttarakhand Police earlier this month registered a first information report (FIR) against a man for allegedly announcing a ₹2 lakh reward for killing Deepak.
The FIR was registered under section 351 (3) (threat to cause death or grievous hurt) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) on Kumar’s complaint, HT earlier reported.
In his complaint, Kumar said that he came across a video on social media in which a person is seen threatening him and announcing a reward of ₹2 lakh for killing him. He said that he and his family were living in fear due to the death threat. “The video is going viral on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram,” he said.
