‘Shouldn’t be punished for helping Muslim’: AAP leader backs ‘Mohammad’ Deepak, offers ₹50,000 help to keep gym afloat

AAm Aadmi company leader Sanjay Singh has add up come out in back up of ‘Mohammad’ Deepak, an Uttarakhand gym possessor who says he is struggling to keep his business running following a high-profile incident in Kotdwar earlier this year.Deepak Kumar came to national attention after intervening in a dispute involving an elderly Muslim shopkeeper and a group linked to the Hindu nationalist group, Bajrang Dal. Now, the gym owner says mounting financial pressure, including four months of unpaid rent, may force him to sell equipment and leave the city.“No person should be punished for helping an elderly Muslim for the sake of humanity,” Singh wrote on X. “Deepak's gym is on the verge of closing today. Help Deepak, I have assisted him with 50 thousand from my salary. You too extend a helping hand; good people's morale should remain high.” What started the issueOn January 26, alleged members of Bajrang Dal objected to the name of a garment shop, ‘Baba School Garments,’ run by 71-year-old Vakil Ahmed.The men claimed the word “Baba” should not be used by a Muslim man in his shop and pressured the shopkeeper to change the name. The group was allegedly intimidating the elderly man when Deepak Kumar stepped in.Asked his name, he replied, “My name is Mohammad Deepak.”He later explained that he used this identity to show unity and equal rights across communities, rather than religious division. A video of the confrontation went viral at the time.ALSO READ | Why did court question 'Mohammad' Deepak's request for police protection?Who is ‘Mohammad’ Deepak?Deepak Kumar is a 42-year-old gym owner known locally as ‘Mohammad’ Deepak He runs the ‘Hulk’ gym in Kotdwar. He now says he may have to leave the city. He said that he had not paid rent for four months and his landlord has asked him to vacate.“My landlord has given an ultimatum since I could not pay the rent for the last four months. I now think of selling the equipment and moving out of the city to take up a job,” Deepak told PTI. He said the monthly rent was ₹40,000, but his gym had only 60-65 members, which was not enough to cover costs.Deepak also alleged that his business was affected by pressure from local activists linked to Bharatiya Janata Party and Bajrang Dal. “These activists visit the homes of gym members whose parents affiliate with the BJP to discourage them from coming to the gym,” he told PTI. “This targeted campaign has severely destabilised my business,” he added. What led to this?On January 31, days after he stood up to the elderly Muslim man, a group gathered outside the shop and near Deepak’s gym. Roads were blocked and slogans were raised. Police registered multiple FIRs related to the incident. Deepak said his gym faced disruptions afterwards and that his clients were also pressured.ALSO READ | 'Rahul Gandhi said he'll join my gym': ‘Mohammad Deepak’ after meeting Congress leaderHe said at the time, “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.” Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also praised Deepak, calling him a defender of the Constitution and humanity. He accused the ruling party in Uttarakhand of siding with groups spreading fear.Legal cases linked to the incidentPolice have registered three FIRs in connection with the incident, HT reported earlier. The first is against 30-40 unidentified people linked to Bajrang Dal and other groups for blocking roads and disturbing public peace during the protest.The second is based on a complaint by Vakil Ahmed, alleging abusive and caste-based remarks by protesters. The third is against Deepak Kumar and others, accusing them of using derogatory language and threatening violence during a later confrontation.Deepak Kumar has also approached the Uttarakhand High Court seeking to quash the FIR against him and requesting police protection.What the High Court saidThe Uttarakhand High Court rejected his plea for police protection and criticised parts of his petition. The court said an accused cannot seek police protection and called such requests inappropriate at this stage. It also said the police are capable of ensuring safety and said that there was no strong evidence of threat.The court also called some of the requests in the petition “illogical” and said they could put pressure on the investigation, PTI reported.Now, amid financial hardships, people on the internet have also been donating to Deepak, as seen in the comments section of Sanjay Singh’s post.