Uttarakhand Man Intervened to Stop Harassment of Muslim Shopkeeper, Now He Faces Protests From Hindutva Outfits
New Delhi: A gym owner in Uttarakhand’s Kotdwar is facing protests from Hindutva groups, days after he intervened to stop the harassment of an elderly Muslim shopkeeper.
Deepak Kumar was at a friend’s shop on January 26 when he observed a group harassing his neighbour, Vakeel Ahmed, regarding the name of his establishment. On Saturday (January 31), a group comprising over 40 people gathered in Kotdwar to raise slogans against Kumar.
Kumar, who runs a gym in the area, said he had intervened when the men threatened Ahmed (70) over the use of the word ‘Baba’ in his shop’s name, ‘Baba School Dress’.
In a video of the incident, Kumar is seen confronting the group, questioning why others were permitted to use the name ‘Baba’ while Ahmed was not.
“The shop is 30 years old, will you change the name?” he asks in the footage. When the group demanded to know his name, Kumar replied: “My name is Mohammad Deepak.”
Speaking to The Indian Express, Kumar said, “The 70-year-old man was asked to change the name of his shop... because he was not Hindu. I asked them not to threaten an old man. They asked me my name, and in anger, I said I was Mohammad Deepak. I intended to convey that I was an Indian and everyone was equal before the law.”
Threats and police action
While the group dispersed on January 26, men mobilised on Saturday at a park in Kotdwar to raise slogans against Kumar. He alleged that he had been intimidated and that threats were levelled against his family.
“Police were present there, but a large group of people were raising slogans at the park. The police said they will take legal action, but no FIR has been registered yet despite a complaint,” Kumar said. He added that he had informed the police in advance regarding the assembly of people.
Police officers in the district stated that a complaint had been received and an inquiry would be conducted. “We have identified a few people and will take necessary action,” an officer at the Kotdwar police station told the newspaper.
However, an FIR was registered based on a separate complaint filed by the shopkeeper, Mr. Ahmed. The complaint states: “On January 26, three to four boys came to my shop and claimed to be members of the Bajrang Dal... I was threatened and intimidated, and they warned that if I did not change the shop’s name, the consequences would not be good.”
The police registered the FIR under Sections 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 333 (house-trespass after preparation for hurt, assault or wrongful restraint), 351(2) (criminal intimidation), and 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Kumar maintained that he stood by his actions. “Despite the resistance to my act, I don’t think I did anything wrong... The man was too frail to stand up to the mob. I didn’t know him well, but I said what I thought was right,” he said.
Senior Congress vice-president Suryakant Dhasmana said the incident, following the murder of a student from the Northeast and an attack on Kashmiri youths in Vikasnagar, had damaged the State’s image. “These incidents are also disturbing communal harmony across the State, which must be urgently addressed,” said Dhasmana.
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