'This is mohabbat ki dukaan': Rahul Gandhi meets 'Mohammad Deepak' after viral Kotdwar video, says will join his gym

DEHRADUN: Deepak Kumar, the Kotdwar gym trainer who identified himself as "Mohammad Deepak" while confronting a group of Bajrang Dal members to shield a Muslim shopkeeper, met leader of opposition and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi at his Delhi residence on Monday.Posting a photo with Kumar, Rahul wrote on social media, "Every human being is equal. This is Indianness, this is ‘mohabbat ki dukaan'. Meeting with brother ‘Mohammad Deepak' from Uttarakhand - this flame of unity and courage should burn in every Indian youth." During the meeting, Gandhi praised Deepak for what he called a courageous and principled stand. "He told me I was absolutely right and that I should not be afraid," Deepak said after the interaction. "It was a very good meeting. He spoke with my wife and family as well."Deepak said Gandhi expressed interest in visiting Kotdwar. "Rahul Gandhi ji said he will come to Kotdwar and join my gym. He also introduced me to his mother, Sonia Gandhi," he said.The meeting comes weeks after a video from Jan 26 showed Deepak confronting nearly 40 Bajrang Dal members who had gathered outside a school uniform shop run by an elderly Muslim trader in Kotdwar. The group had objected to the use of the word "Baba" in the shop's name.In the video, he is seen identifying himself as "Mohammed Deepak" and questioning "why the trader should be forced to change a name that had existed for nearly 30 years".The video drew widespread attention and sharply divided reactions. Deepak said his gym, which had around 150 members before the incident, initially saw a steep drop in enrolment. "But many people, including public figures, later extended support," he said.Earlier, Gandhi had referred to Deepak as a "lion" in a social media post, urging him not to be afraid.Deepak claimed the situation in Kotdwar has since stabilised. "Earlier, I received threats, but things are better now. I am not getting threats anymore," he said. Kumar and his friend Vijay Rawat have announced plans to undertake an "Insaniyat Jodo Yatra" (Unite Humanity March) to promote communal harmony.Meanwhile, both face charges 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) after a complaint by Bajrang Dal member Kamal Pal, who alleged assault during what he described as a public outreach event.