Rahul Gandhi meets Kotdwar gym trainer ‘Mohammad’ Deepak, hails his act of ‘courage and unity’

Uttarakhand Gym trainer Deepak Kumar, who became an overnight social media sensation for defending a Muslim shopkeeper in Kotdwar, Sunday met Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi.

During their meeting, Rahul praised Deepak for his courage and promised to take his gym membership.

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Sharing the images on social media, Rahul said, “This flame of unity and courage should burn in the hearts of every Indian youth.”

Deepak intervened and helped a Muslim shopkeeper who was being harassed by a group of men, who claimed to be the members of the right-wing organisation Bajrang Dal.

The group wanted the shopkeeper to change the name of his shop. The Muslim shopkeeper had used ‘Baba’ in the name of his decades old shop. However, the right-wing miscreants wanted him to remove the ‘Baba’ from the shop’s name.

Deepak Kumar, who was nearby intervened and asked them not to trouble the Muslim man. When they asked his name, he introduced himself as ‘Mohammad Deepak’.

A video of the incident instantly went viral on social media with Deepak being hailed by many as a “hero”. However, the Bajrang Dal members protested against him and allegedly issued threats.

Moreover, an FIR was also reportedly lodged against Deepak and his friend Vijay Rawat, who was also there and defended the gym trainer.

While Deepak became a social media star, he revealed that the incident has adversely affected his business as his gym memberships dropped significantly.

After his meeting with Rahul Gandhi, the Opposition Congress described him as a “warrior of the ‘Shop of Love’.

“Mohammad Deepak has set an example of unity, brotherhood, and courage— one that will inspire every young person in the country to muster the courage to fight against injustice and hatred,” the Congress said.