From 'Mohammad Deepak' to BJP vs Congress: Police heighten security in Kotdwar

• Police deployed in Kotdwar to manage communal tensions after recent incident.
• Three FIRs filed over clash involving Deepak Kumar and Bajrang Dal members
• BJP and Congress blame each other for promoting communal polarisation.

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A heavy police deployment blanketed Kotdwar’s major routes, markets and public areas on Tuesday, as authorities moved to contain communal tensions stemming from an incident last week where a local man intervened to protect an elderly shopkeeper from harassment.

Read: Uttarakhand's Kotdwar row explained: 'Baba' name on Ahmed's shop to 'Mera naam Mohammad Deepak'

The heightened security, described by the Pauri Garhwal Police as an effort to “strengthen peace, security and law and order,” includes regular patrols and intensive vehicle checks.

According to a police statement, the measures are intended to identify “any undesirable or law-and-order–disrupting activity” in time for legal action. The police administration asserted it is ensuring citizens face no inconvenience while working to fortify a “harmonious atmosphere through public cooperation.”

The focal point of the tension, Deepak Kumar, celebrated his birthday on Tuesday under the watch of police personnel, who were also deployed at his gym and provided to him as personal security. Kotdwar police station house officer Pradeep Negi was cited by The Indian Express as saying that entry had been restricted for some outsiders, citing an influx of social media influencers. “We are trying to avert any untoward situation,” Negi stated.

The chain of events began on January 26, when Kumar, 37, confronted a group of men who were pressuring a 70-year-old Muslim shopkeeper suffering from Parkinson’s disease to remove the word ‘Baba’ from his shop’s name. A video of the confrontation, in which Kumar is seen identifying himself as “Mohammad Deepak,” went viral, catapulting him into an unwelcome spotlight.

The situation escalated on Saturday when several members of the Bajrang Dal gathered to confront Kumar, necessitating police intervention to restrain them. Subsequently, three First Information Reports (FIRs) have been registered: one based on the complaint of the harassed shopkeeper, Vakeel Ahmed; another on a Kotdwar resident’s complaint against Kumar and his friend Vijay Rawat, who was present during the initial incident; and a third by the police against unknown persons from the Bajrang Dal.

Kumar, who stood by his actions, was quoted by The Indian Express as saying on Monday: “I said my name was Mohammad Deepak because it was the right thing to do. I am accountable only to God and standing up for a man who was being attacked for his religion was a humane thing. I’m not fazed by these protests,” he said. By Tuesday, Kumar noted that things were gradually returning to normal.

The incident has ignited a political firestorm in the state. The BJP and the Congress have traded accusations, each blaming the other for disturbing Uttarakhand’s peace.

State BJP president Mahendra Bhatt labelled the incident “unfortunate” and accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of making remarks that constitute a “deliberate attempt to vitiate the peaceful atmosphere of ‘Devbhoomi’.” Bhatt alleged the “negative role” of local Congress leaders was visible and expressed concern over whether the incident was pre-planned. He emphasised the government’s “zero-tolerance policy” on law and order.

Countering this, the state Congress questioned the police’s response. Suryakant Dhasmana, senior vice-president of the Uttarakhand Congress, reportedly asked why cases were filed against Kumar and Rawat, while the case against their alleged harassers was lodged against unknown persons.

He argued this clearly shows such incidents are occurring under the patronage of the BJP government to promote communal polarisation. Dhasmana linked the Kotdwar event to other recent incidents as proof the ruling party is shamelessly indulging in the politics of religious polarisation for power.