Rahul Gandhi meets Mohammad Deepak after defending Muslim shopkeeper in Uttarakhand

Deepak Kumar, the gym owner who gained national attention for defending a 70-year-old Muslim shopkeeper in Uttarakhand, met with Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Monday.

During the meeting, which also included veteran leader Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi praised Kumar for his bravery and assured him of his support following the recent backlash against his business.

The incident occurred on January 26 in Kotdwar town when Kumar stood up to a mob harassing a shopkeeper suffering from Parkinson’s disease. The group had demanded that the shopkeeper remove the word Baba from his storefront. When confronted by the crowd and asked for his identity, Kumar defiantly referred to himself as Mohammad Deepak.

In the weeks following the confrontation, membership at Kumar’s Hulk Gym plummeted from 150 members to just 15.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Kumar shared that Rahul Gandhi told him he had done nothing wrong and that his actions were commendable. Gandhi further promised to visit Kotdwar in the near future to personally take out a membership at Kumar’s gym and work out there. Kumar expressed his gratitude for the gesture and noted that the threats he had previously been receiving had finally stopped.

The 38-year-old gym owner also highlighted the support he has received from the legal community. After reports surfaced regarding the financial hit to his livelihood, senior advocates of the Supreme Court stepped forward to help sustain his business. Kumar stated that he would be very happy to host the Congress leader at his facility, viewing the support as a validation of his stance against the harassment of his neighbor.