Rahul Gandhi meets 'Muhammad Deepak', pictures surface

Rahul Gandhi meets Mohammad Deepak

• Rahul Gandhi met Deepak Kumar after Kotdwar market incident
• Kumar confronted Bajrang Dal over harassment of Muslim shopkeeper
• Kumar's social media following surged after the viral video

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Congress leader Rahul Gandhi met gym owner Deepak Kumar, who has drawn nationwide attention after confronting a group of men accused of harassing a Muslim shopkeeper in Uttarakhand’s Kotdwar on January 26.

Kumar, 46, became widely known after a video surfaced showing him identifying himself as “Mohammed Deepak” while challenging members of the Bajrang Dal who were objecting to an elderly Muslim shopkeeper using the word “Baba” in his shop’s name on Republic Day. The confrontation took place in a local market and the video quickly spread online.

In another clip that later emerged, Kumar said, “I am not a Hindu, I am not a Muslim, I am not a Sikh, and I am not a Christian. First and foremost, I am a human being. Because after I die, I have to answer to God and to humanity, not to any religion.”

According to reports, tensions escalated days after the January 26 incident. On January 31, around 30 to 40 Bajrang Dal members from Dehradun and Rishikesh reportedly reached Kotdwar and held a demonstration outside Kumar’s residence and gym, raising slogans and recording videos.

Speaking to The Times of India after an FIR was lodged against him and his friend Vijay Rawat on charges of assault and intimidation, Kumar said the situation intensified due to people coming from outside the town.

"After what happened on Jan 26, a large number of Bajrang Dal members gathered near my gymnasium and house while aggressively raising slogans against me," Kumar said. "But I didn't bow down before them. I will not bow down to hatred and will stand for humanity again, whenever needed. I am carrying out my business as usual, but I am still a little concerned for the safety of my family," he told TOI.

Kumar has stated that the disturbance was not caused by local residents but by those who arrived from other cities and gathered outside his home in full view of police personnel.

In the days following the episode, his social media presence expanded dramatically. His Facebook following rose from around 1,500 before January 26 to over 4.3 lakh within a week. On Instagram, his followers increased from nearly 1,000 to more than 5 lakh, according to The Times of India.