Deepak Kumar, a young man from Kotdwar, Garhwal, Uttarakhand, has suddenly become the center of political attention. Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, and many other opposition parties have highly praised Deepak’s actions. The way the matter is escalating, it is likely to become an election issue. For the first time in the country, such an incident has occurred where a Hindu youth stood against Hindu organizations and openly defended a Muslim shopkeeper, setting a new example. Not only this, Deepak received open support from both Hindu and Muslim communities. Although some Hindu organizations tried to spoil the atmosphere, they were unsuccessful. This has given a new ray of hope to non-BJP parties.
The opposition may raise Deepak’s case in Uttarakhand and other electionbound states as a counter to Hindu polarization.
Deepak, being a Hindu, identified himself as Mohammad Deepak and not only defended the Muslim shopkeeper but also sparked a new debate across the state. After Deepak’s case, opposition to communal politics has also started in Uttarakhand. From social media to many other organizations, questions have been raised against Bajrang Dal, Gau Rakshak Dal, and the BJP.
The Congress has directly alleged that attempts are being made to disrupt communal harmony in the state due to the elections.
The incident is as follows: In Kotdwar, a man named Vakil Ahmed runs a children’s clothing shop called Baba Dress. The shop had been running for a long time. Suddenly, on January 26, some youths came and asked the elderly shopkeeper to change the name. The youths identified themselves as Bajrang Dal workers. They said that Baba is a Hindu name. There is a temple of Hanuman Ji in Kotdwar named Siddhabali Baba. When they were threatening the Muslim shopkeeper, a young man named Deepak opposed them and chased them away. When asked his name, Deepak introduced himself as Mohammad Deepak. He also warned the youths that there would be no Hindu-Muslim politics here.
Following this incident, on January 31, cow vigilantes, Bajrang Dal, and some other Hindu organizations staged a protest and attempted to attack Deepak. They chanted offensive slogans. The police somehow managed to bring the situation under control.
The police then registered a case against Deepak and others and warned against spreading rumors. However, the matter had already escalated. People in the city openly came out in support of Deepak. Questions are being raised about why the police registered a case against Deepak.
While Bajrang Dal attempted to disrupt the peace in the city, they did not receive widespread support from the local population. On the contrary, people praised Deepak’s actions and stood by him. Rahul Gandhi called Deepak a “lion” and questioned the BJP and the Uttarakhand government.
Several leaders from other parties, including Owaisi, described Deepak as an example of national brotherhood.
Deepak also became a media sensation. The police are continuously monitoring the situation in the city.
