Rahul Gandhi to take 'Mohammad Deepak' gym membership? BJP warns - 'Uttarakhand won't accept those ...'

• Rahul Gandhi met Deepak Kumar after his viral communal harmony act
• BJP accused Congress of promoting appeasement and conversions
• Deepak's gym lost members, but threats have stopped.

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Nearly a month after he stared down a mob that was harassing an elderly Muslim shopkeeper in Uttarakhand’s Pauri Garhwal district, gym owner Deepak Kumar met Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi on Monday. During the meeting, Rahul reportedly assured him that he would visit Kotdwar and even take a membership at his gym.

The encounter, however, has triggered a sharp political confrontation, with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Uttarakhand accusing the Congress leader of encouraging “appeasement and religious conversion” to disturb the Himalayan state’s demographic balance.

Deepak Kumar, 38, who owns the Hulk Gym in Kotdwar, became an unlikely symbol of communal harmony after a video of his confrontation on January 26 went viral. On that day, he intervened when a group of men threatened a 70-year-old Muslim shopkeeper suffering from Parkinson’s disease, demanding that he drop the word “Baba” from his shop’s name. When the group turned on him and demanded his name, he famously replied, “Mohammad Deepak.”

Speaking to reporters after the meeting with Rahul, Deepak recounted the details of their interaction. “Rahul ji called and spoke to me and my family. He said I did nothing wrong,” Deepak said. “He also said he will visit Kotdwar and will take the membership of my gym.”

Deepak added that the Congress MP praised his actions and advised him not to worry. “He praised me for what I did… I will be very happy if Rahul ji comes to my gym and works out there,” he said. According to Deepak, Rahul also arranged for him to meet his mother and veteran Congress leader Sonia Gandhi.

The fallout from the January 26 incident had been severe for Deepak. Following the widespread circulation of the video, his gym’s membership plummeted from 150 to just 15. He also began receiving threatening messages. After media reports on the financial and personal toll the incident had taken on him, senior advocates of the Supreme Court stepped forward to offer support. On Monday, Deepak noted that the threats had ceased in recent weeks.

The meeting in Delhi drew an immediate and scathing response from the Uttarakhand BJP.

State spokesperson and MLA Vinod Chamoli launched a blistering attack on Rahul, alleging that the gesture was a calculated move to promote religious conversion. “Anyone who will convert from Deepak to Mohammad Deepak, he will become a revered figure for the Congress. Uttarakhand people will not accept those encouraging such kalanemi (evil) practices,” Chamoli was quoted as saying by The Indian Express.

Drawing a contrast with the long wait many senior Congress leaders endure for an audience with Rahul Gandhi, the BJP MLA pointed out that several of them wait years for such an opportunity and many eventually leave the party.

He reportedly asserted that Rahul’s meeting with “Mohammad” Deepak, so soon after the issue arose, and the importance and affection — including a hug — bestowed upon him, were, in his view, steps to encourage appeasement and religious conversion in Uttarakhand. He further alleged that the Congress exaggerating the meeting underscored this intent.

Chamoli further said that the message from the Congress's top leadership was unmistakable. According to the BJP MLA, Rahul’s message was clear: anyone who changes their name from Deepak to Mohammad would become a hero in his eyes. He added that the Congress party aims to disturb the demography of the state, but the BJP would not permit that to happen.