Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi met Uttarakhand gym trainer Deepak Kumar, widely known as “Mohammad Deepak”, in New Delhi and extended his support to him after the recent Kotdwar controversy.
The meeting took place on February 23 at the residence of senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi. Deepak had come into the national spotlight after a viral video showed him stepping in to defend an elderly Muslim shopkeeper who was allegedly being pressured by right-wing activists to change the name of his shop. During the confrontation, Deepak identified himself as “Mohammad Deepak” in a gesture of solidarity, which drew widespread attention on social media.
After the interaction, Deepak said Rahul Gandhi praised his actions and reassured his family, which had been under stress following the incident. The Congress leader also told him that he would visit Kotdwar and take membership at his gym as a mark of support.
The Congress shared pictures of the meeting and described Deepak’s act as a symbol of unity and courage. Rahul Gandhi has repeatedly spoken about equality and communal harmony, and the party linked the meeting to its broader message of promoting social unity.
Deepak runs the Hulk Gym in Kotdwar and said his business suffered after the controversy, with a sharp fall in membership and security concerns for his family. He thanked Rahul Gandhi for reaching out and said the gesture had given him confidence during a difficult time.
The Kotdwar incident, which began on Republic Day, had led to protests, police cases and a wider political debate in Uttarakhand. The meeting has now added a fresh political dimension, with the Congress projecting it as support for constitutional values and social harmony.
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