Uttarakhand man who shielded Muslim trader becomes social media star: ‘I will not bow down to hatred’

DEHRADUN: Deepak Kumar, who introduced himself as ‘Mohammed Deepak' in a widely shared video showing him confronting Bajrang Dal members harassing an elderly Muslim shopkeeper in Kotdwar for using ‘Baba' in his shop's name on Republic Day, said he is unafraid of the consequences of stepping in—and would do so again "whenever needed."

In the week since the incident, Kumar has seen a sharp surge in online visibility. He had about 1,500 followers on Facebook before Jan 26; by Monday, the number had risen to over 4.3 lakh. On Instagram, his follower count jumped from around 1,000 a week ago to over 5 lakh by Monday evening.




Speaking to TOI on Monday, days after an FIR was lodged against him and his friend Vijay Rawat on charges of assault and intimidation, Kumar said the real disruption came not from Kotdwar's residents but from "outsiders" who descended on the town on Jan 31, gathered outside his gym, and shouted communal slogans at his family in full view of police.

The Jan 26 confrontation, which unfolded in a local market, had appeared to end with Kumar's intervention. The video, showing him standing between a group of Bajrang Dal workers and a distressed shopkeeper, soon became a talking point across social media platforms. By the following week, however, the issue had escalated. On Jan 31, a group of 30 to 40 Bajrang Dal members travelled from Dehradun and Rishikesh to Kotdwar, staging a demonstration outside Kumar's home and workplace, raising slogans and filming videos.



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"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 added, "People of Kotdwar have lived peacefully. The trouble didn't begin here. It was brought in from outside."

Later that night, police registered three FIRs. One was against Kumar and Rawat, booked under BNS sections 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 351(2) (criminal intimidation), 352 (intentional insult likely to provoke breach of peace), and 191(1) (unlawful assembly), based on a complaint by Bajrang Dal member Kamal Pal, who alleged that the duo had assaulted members of the group on Jan 26 during what he described as a public outreach event.

Kumar, who lives with his wife, mother, and four-year-old daughter, said he viewed the case as retaliation. "This is punishment for standing up for humanity," he said. "People supporting the right-wing group have run social media campaigns targeting me, but at the same time many others have shown support. That itself is proof that there are still people in this country who want peace."

Rawat, who also appears in the video, said they had filed a formal complaint after the Jan 31 protest, naming some of the Bajrang Dal members involved and listing the vehicle numbers they arrived in. "But no action was taken on it," he said. "Instead, police registered a case against 30–40 unidentified members. We are not scared because we did nothing wrong. We have always respected all religions but have considered humanity the greatest religion since childhood."

A senior Kotdwar police officer said Kumar's complaint had been included in the investigation, and that a separate FIR was not registered "since a case for the same offence already exists." The officer added that no arrests had been made and efforts were underway to identify the 40 individuals mentioned.

Two more FIRs were registered in connection with the events. One, on the basis of a complaint by the shop owner, named two Bajrang Dal workers — Gaurav Kashyap and Shakti Singh Gusain — and two unnamed persons. The other, filed by police suo motu, charged around 40 individuals under BNS sections including 121(2) (voluntarily causing hurt to a public servant), 126(2) (wrongful restraint), 191(2) (rioting), and 196(2) (promoting enmity between religious groups), for blocking NH-534 and shouting communally charged slogans outside Kumar's gym.

National political leaders have also weighed in. Congress MP and leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi expressed support on social media, calling Kumar a "lion" in a post urging him not to be afraid. AIMIM president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi praised Kumar's actions during a public rally, describing his intervention as an act of courage in the face of intimidation.

Bajrang Dal state convenor, Vikas Verma, meanwhile, questioned the attention Kumar has received following his confrontation with members of the organisation. "His sudden social media stardom maked it absolutely clear who all are supporting him. It is the liberals, communists, terrorists and all those who don't want Sanatan to exist in India," Verma told TOI. "But we will soon break this anti-Sanatan strategy and hold a door-to-door campaign in Kotdwar to show the faces of all the anti-national elements who supported him against Bajrang Dal, which always stands for the country."

Verma also claimed that the support Kumar has received is part of a larger political design. "This is a polarisation attempt before the 2027 assembly elections in Uttarakhand," he said. "But we will not allow those anti-nationals to succeed."