A Hindutva mob gathers at the residence of Deepak Kumar and hurls choicest abuses at him and his family and threatens him for protecting the Muslim shopkeeper. He said he’s unfazed by threats
NEW DELHI – The Hindu youth Deepak Kumar, who stood up to the bullying of an elderly Muslim shopkeeper by Bajrang Dal and other Hindutva proponents in Kotdwar in Uttarakhand recently and protected him, has now become a target of right-wing hate mongers.
Another local youth, Vijay Rawat, also joined Deepak in the endeavour to save the innocent shopkeeper. Both pushed the chauvinists away and stopped the violence.
Peeved at the heroic acts of a gym owner, Deepak Kumar, and his friend Vijay Rawat, who stood like a rock to ward off the attack on the Muslim trader, a mob of 100 to 150 Bajrang Dal men on Saturday gathered at the residence of the former and hurled choicest abuses at him and his family members.
In an Instagram video, Kumar responded: “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.” His reaction came after the threats he’s been facing for these ideas ever since protecting the Muslim shopkeeper from harassment.
Kumar said he’s unfazed by threats.
As the mob gathered at his home on Saturday, the police had to intervene. Deepak Kumar then put out videos showing the confrontation and shared his secular idea of India as well. “I will not back down,” he was quoted as saying by different media outlets.
The turn of events stems from Deepak’s confrontation with Hindutva group members, during which he said, “My name is Mohammad Deepak!” — a proclamation meant to fuse his Hindu identity with that of fellow Muslims to convey his idea of India, he later said.
The phrase is viral across social media platforms. It has also brought danger to his door. Deepak was seen confronting the mob, while police pushed them apart.
“I just want to say this to all of you—to my brothers, sisters, and friends—that our country needs love and affection, not hatred. You can spread as much hatred as you want; there is no stopping that. But spreading love is a very big thing,” he said in a video later.
According to reports, Deepak was at a friend’s shop on January 26 when he saw a mob threatening the 70-year-old Muslim shopkeeper, Vakeel Ahmed.
The mob demanded that Ahmed drop the word ‘baba’ from the name of his shop, ‘Baba School Dress’. Baba is usually used for old or religious men, and the men bullying Ahmed insisted this could only be used for Hindu religious men.
A viral video shows Deepak confronting the mob and asking why others could use ‘baba’ but not Ahmed. “The shop is 30 years old; will you change the name?” he is seen asking them.
When a man from the group asks him what his name was, seeking expressly to know his identity, Deepak Kumar replies, “My name is Mohammad Deepak.”
“I intended to convey that I was an Indian and everyone is equal before the law,” Deepak said, recounting the incident.
Deepak Kumar has since been abused by right-wing handles across X, Instagram and Facebook, with his public profile on Insta flooded with comments. These include gratitude from Muslims and others backing his ideas, while Hindutva-aligned social media users call him a “traitor” and other, worse names.
Vijay Rawat also spoke to the media in a video clip that has gone viral. He gave a clear message against dividing people on religious lines. “Making people fight in the name of religion is wrong,” he said. “I request the government to stop those who want to create such fights.”
He added, “The biggest religion is humanity. Deepak is my friend, and what we did was our duty as human beings.”
Vijay Rawat said his Hindu faith does not teach hatred. “My religion does not teach me to kill or abuse others,” he said. “No religious book tells us to insult another faith or harm people.”
Speaking about Deepak’s statement, Vijay Rawat said, “When Deepak said his name is Mohammad Deepak, it was a strong message of brotherhood. It showed that humanity comes before labels.”
On the complaint from Ahmed, an FIR was registered at the Kotdwar police station in Pauri Garhwal for intimidation and assault. His complaint says, “On January 26, three to four boys came to my shop and claimed to be members of the Bajrang Dal. They told me to change the name of my shop from ‘Baba’ to something else. I was threatened and intimidated, and they warned that if I did not change the shop’s name, the consequences would not be good.”
