"Mera naam Mohammad Deepak hai!” (My Name is Mohammad Deepak), a Hindu man, shielded an elderly Muslim shopkeeper from harassment and vandalism of his shop from Bajrang Dal goons, a Hindutva organisation, in Kotdwar town of Uttarakhand.
A Hindu man whose real name is Deepak Kumar, who stood up to a Hindu mob that was threatening a 70-year-old shopkeeper in Pauri Garhwal, is now facing protests and FIRs. According to the Indian Express, over 40 people reached his residence in Kotdwar and started raising slogans against him for his act.
What Exactly Happened?
Deepak Kumar said it was Republic Day, on January 26, he with his friends had gathered at a shop to celebrate the day. "My friends and I were celebrating Republic Day when we went to one of our friends' shops," he told news agency ANI.
During that time, he overheard several men harassing and threatening a shopkeeper, Vakeel Ahmed, next door, over using the 'Baba' name for his shop Baba School Dress and Matching Center. Upon enquiring about the matter, Kumar was asked not to intervene in the matter.
Kumar said some 8 to 10 boys from the Bajrang Dal group entered the 'Baba' shop and started misbehaving with the shopkeeper over the shop's name. "I asked them to stop misbehaving, but they replied that in their religion, the word 'Baba" is only used for Sidhbali Baba, and for no one else, and that the shopkeeper would have to change the shop's name," he said.
During the argument, shopkeeper Vakeel Ahmed told the mob that he has been running the shop for more than 30 years and refused to change the name. "After this, the argument escalated to into a Hindu-Muslim issue," said Deepak Kumar.
A video of the incident also went viral, in which Kumar can be seen confronting a mob and asking why others can name their shops Baba but not Ahmed. “The shop is 30 years old, will you change the name?” he asks the crowd. Asked what his name is, Kumar replies, “My name is Mohammad Deepak.”
He said, “My name is Mohammad Deepak” means I am first an Indian and in India all religions live together, whether its Muslim, Sikh, or Hindu, while my real name is Deepak Kumar. He said he used the prefix ‘Mohammad’ to his name in a moment of solidarity. “I wanted to show them we are all one,” he said.
He now finds himself accused in one of three FIRs, while those threatening him also face police action. Police have since registered three cases, news agency PTI reported on Monday. The first case is against 30-40 unidentified people who were involved in the protest organised purportedly by Bajrang Dal and other Hindutva bodies.
A second case was registered based on a complaint filed by local Vakil Ahmed, who accused the protesters of using abusive and casteist language, causing public disturbance. The third case was filed against Deepak Kumar and his alleged associates, accused of using derogatory language and threatening violence during the January 28 confrontation. The complaint in this FIR is from Kamal Prasad, another Kotdwar resident
Who Is Mohammed Deepak?
Deepak is a gym trainer and runs his own gym in Kotdwar in Uttarakhand. His father died 15 years ago. While speaking in an interview with a YouTube journalist, he was brought up by his mother, lonely after his father's death, by running a tea stall roadside.
Rahul Gandhi Reacts
Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi wrote on X: "Deepak from Uttarakhand is a hero in India. Deepak is fighting for the Constitution and humanity — for that Constitution which the BJP and the Sangh Parivar are conspiring every day to trample underfoot."
"The Sangh Parivar is deliberately poisoning the country's economy and society, so that India remains divided and a few people continue to rule on the crutches of fear. Uttarakhand's BJP government is openly siding with those anti-social forces that are engaged in intimidating and harassing ordinary citizens," Gandhi said.
"No country can move forward in an atmosphere of hate, fear, and anarchy. Without peace, development is just an empty slogan. We need more Deepaks - those who do not bow, who do not fear, and who stand firmly with the Constitution with all their might. We are with you, brother. Don't be afraid. You are a lion-hearted warrior," he added.