“My name? Mera naam Mohammad Deepak hai!” said a Hindu man, as he stood with an elderly Muslim shopkeeper who was being bullied by a mob claiming to be from the Bajrang Dal, a Hindutva organisation, in Kotdwar town of Uttarakhand.
That was last week. The episode spiralled both online and at Deepak Kumar's door.
He now finds himself accused in one of three FIRs, while those threatening him also face police action.
The issue has gained national and political limelight, with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi hailing Deepak for his brave act and defiance of communal elements.
Deepak has said he used prefixed ‘Mohammad’ to his name in a moment of solidarity. “I wanted to show them we are all one,” he said.
It began when the Bajrang Dal men demanded that the Muslim man change the name of his establishment, ‘Baba School Dress’. They said the name could “cause confusion” with Siddhbali Baba, a famous Hanuman temple in Kotdwar, police said.
Deepak Kumar, 46, who runs a gym in the area, was at a friend's shop when he saw the mob threatening the 70-year-old man sitting at the shop, Wakeel Ahmed. Police said the name of the owner is Mohammad Shoaib.
A video gone viral since shows Deepak Kumar confronting the mob and asking why others could use ‘baba’ but not the Muslim man. “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 is, seeking expressly to know his identity, Deepak Kumar replies, “My name is Mohammad Deepak.” It was meant to fuse his Hindu identity with that of fellow Muslims to convey his idea of India, he later said in a video on Instagram.
The confrontation stretched onto the road, and subsided for then. In the days since, Deepak have faced threats and groups have gathered at his doorstep, raising communal slogans against him. With police present, he sought to confront the men, holding his ground.
“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,” Deepak has said in one of his videos amid this.
Police have since registered three cases, news agency PTI reported on Monday.
The first case is against 30-40 unidentified people who were involved in the protest organised purportedly by Bajrang Dal and other Hindutva bodies. This case is linked to the disturbance caused by the protesters blocking roads, raising slogans, and creating communal tension, officials told news agency PTI.
A second case was registered based on a complaint filed by local Vakil Ahmed (also spelt Wakeel Ahmed), who accused the protesters of using abusive and casteist language, causing public disturbance. This was the man at the shop when Bajrang Dal men barged in.
The third case was filed against Deepak Kumar and his alleged associates, accused of using derogatory language and threatening violence during the January 28 confrontation. The complaint in this FIR is from Kamal Prasad, another Kotdwar resident, police said.
Deepak has, meanwhile, posted videos defending his stance. “I just want to say this to all of you, 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 one such video.
Police conducted a flag march on February 1 in the town area to maintain security and peace.
Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, meanwhile, wrote on X: "Deepak from Uttarakhand is a hero in India. Deepak is fighting for the Constitution and humanity — for that Constitution which the BJP and the Sangh Parivar are conspiring every day to trample underfoot."
Rahul Gandhi alleged that Uttarakhand's BJP government is siding with anti-social forces that are spreading fear and harassing ordinary citizens.
