Mohammad Deepak Row: Opposition Backs Kotdwar 'Brave', BJP Hits Out at Congress
New Delhi: A large number of political parties from Uttarakhand to the national capital and beyond – but not the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) – have rallied behind a forty-something gym trainer in Kotdwar town who called himself 'Mohammad Deepak' as he refused to let a mob of Hindutvadis bully an aged and ailing Muslim shopkeeper. A video of the incident went viral on Republic Day and, since then, Deepak has become a symbol of resistance to majoritarian intimidation.
Several national and regional leaders have weighed in on the Kotdwar episode. Leader of the Congress party and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi described Deepak as a "hero of India" in an X post, while Communist Party of India (Marxist) Member of Parliament John Brittas visited Kotdwar to meet Deepak and 'Baba School Uniform' owner Wakeel Ahmed at his shop, where he was roughed up by Bajrang Dal hefties on January 26.
The Indian Express reported that Brittas obtained membership of Deepak's gym, and had tea with locals during his visit, while Gandhi shared his views in an X post:
उत्तराखंड के दीपक भारत के हीरो हैं।
दीपक संविधान और इंसानियत के लिए लड़ रहे हैं - उस संविधान के लिए जिसे BJP और संघ परिवार रोज़ रौंदने की साज़िश कर रहे हैं।
वे नफ़रत के बाज़ार में मोहब्बत की दुकान का जीवित प्रतीक हैं और यही बात सत्ता को सबसे ज़्यादा चुभती है।
संघ परिवार… pic.twitter.com/c1D4VHV5XO
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) February 1, 2026
The Bajrang Dal is the student body of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), whose other offshoot, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), is in power in Uttarakhand as well as in Delhi.
"Deepak Kumar, now known as 'Muhammad' Deepak... is a beacon of hope in the struggle against the Hindutva communalism .
Deepak Kumar entered the scene in Kotdwar, in the foothills of the Himalayas, when Bajrang Dal activists began harassing an elderly man named Muhammad. This… pic.twitter.com/ZVuA5VwgGb
— John Brittas (@JohnBrittas) February 8, 2026
At the state level, Congress leaders such as Suryakant Dhasmana questioned the police response to the incident, moneycontrol reported. He specifically questioned why Deepak and his associate Vijay Rawat also faced a police complaint (said to have been filed by members of Bajrang Dal), and the police failing to identify members of the mob though they are easily identifiable.
Dhasmana, a Congress vice president, told the Hindu, "The only way they have to win [the 2027 state election] is to create fear, and tell Hindus that Muslims are a threat. Legislations like the Uniform Civil Code, the minority education bill that aimed to abolish the Madrasa board and the anti-conversion law – all these are only aimed at polarising and dividing."
Members of the public have also rallied around Deepak and his gym and residence, after he initially faced strong opposition from Hindutva supporters for having stood up for the shopowner. Later, Deepak appealed to those who support him against communitarian actions and beliefs to visit him once the situation was calmer. He reportedly also came under attack in the state.
The Bajrang Dal men wanted Ahmed to change his shop's name to remove 'Baba', which they portrayed as a 'Hindu name' and claimed it was associated exclusively with a local Hindu revered figure.
Due to the ruling party's stand on the incident, a sharp political divide has arisen over the Kotdwar incident. While leaders from the opposition have publicly rallied around Deepak for challenging communalism, the ruling BJP has failed to condemn the intimidation of Ahmed, who suffers from Parkinsons disease and is at least 70 years old.
Also read: Mohammad Deepak Kumar, Shaila Negi, And The Idea of India
For instance, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami did not condemn the harassment of the shopkeeper or the continued intimidation of Deepak by right-wing groups, which share his party's Hindutva ideology. Instead, addressing a gathering in Champawat district, he accused the Congress party of "appeasement" politics for supporting Deepak, the Print reported.
Dhami framed the entire episode without referring to the law and order situation created by Bajrang Dal men in a state he administers. He did notmention the open communal bullying they were caught doing on camera. He objected, instead, to Congress party for supporting one who had put Mohammad before his (Hindu) name. He did not say Deepak was trying to silence the angry Bajrang Dal mob.
Deepak has since made his reason to call himself 'Mohammad Deepak' clear: religion could not be a reason to harass or intimidate anyone. He has stressed that "everyone is equal before the law".
Asaduddin Owaisi, president of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), publicly backed Deepak Kumar's stand against the right-wing activists. He called his intervention a defence of pluralism and constitutional rights. He asked: "Now the BJP government, the BJP police, have filed a case against that same Deepak Kumar. What wrong did he do, tell me? Is it a crime to help a poor, oppressed person?"
#WATCH | Adilabad, Telangana: AIMIM Chief Asaduddin Owaisi says, "In Uttarakhand, one of our Hindu young men, whose name is Deepak Kumar... His only crime was that he went to a 70-year-old lawyer's shop where the word "Baba" was written, and these Bajrang Dal people went and… pic.twitter.com/SmMlQEyn7X
— ANI (@ANI) February 4, 2026
Imran Pratapgarhi, another Congress leader and Member of Parliament, spoke to television channel News 24 with a message supporting Deepak's actions, saying it was important to stand up to bullying.
&
"कोटद्वार उत्तराखण्ड में एक मुस्लिम बुज़ुर्ग दूकान वाले को परेशान कर रहे उत्पाती गुंडों के सामने डट कर खड़े हुए नौजवान "दीपक" की सराहना करता हूँ"
◆ कांग्रेस सांसद इमरान प्रतापगढ़ी ने कहा @ShayarImran| #ImranPratapgarhi | Imran Pratapgarhi | #Congress pic.twitter.com/DbpXLDu5ug
— News24 (@news24tvchannel) February 1, 2026
Deepender Singh Hooda, the Congress Member of Parliament from Rohtak, also weighed in on the Kotdwar episode. He released a video of speaking over the phone to Deepak soon after the incident, in which he is heard praising his courage and humanity. He assured him he and his party would raise his case in parliament, both in Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha. He also told him the Congress party stood by him.
The Jharkhand government led by Chief Minister Hemant Soren responded to the Kotdwar incident by offering Deepak a Rs 2 lakh cash award for his bravery. Deepak reportedly declined the offer personally, but is known to have said that it should instead be given to the family of Ankita Bhandari, a young working woman who was allegedly murdered in an Uttarakhand resort in 2022.
Vijay Rawat, Deepak's associate, also faces a police case in the BJP-ruled state. He was present at the time of Deepak's intervention against the unruly mob, and later defended his stance, saying that organisations like the Bajrang Dal use religion to set people against one another and that he, too, was a Hindu, but did not back attacks against members of other faiths.
This article went live on February ninth, two thousand twenty six, at fifty-six minutes past three in the afternoon.The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.
