Rahul Gandhi said he'd join my gym: 'Mohammad' Deepak after members' exodus

Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi met gym trainer Mohammad Deepak on Monday after the trainer came into the spotlight for defending a shopkeeper in Kotdwar, Uttarakhand, last month.

After the meeting, Deepak said Gandhi called him to meet and also spoke to his family. He said Gandhi told him not to be afraid and assured him that he had not done anything wrong. Deepak added that Gandhi said he would visit Kotdwar and take membership at his gym.

Sharing a message on unity, Gandhi said, “Every person is equal. This is Indianness, this is a shop of love.” He also said that such a spirit of unity and courage should burn in every Indian youth.

Deepak Kumar said his livelihood has taken a severe hit since the incident last month. Speaking to Aaj Tak, India Today's sister channel, Deepak said his gym, run from a rented premise, has seen an abrupt and alarming collapse in footfall. Where nearly 150 members once trained at the facility each day, from morning until evening, the number has now dwindled to just 12 to 15 daily visitors.

The controversy began on January 26 when a group of people allegedly asked the owner of Ahmed’s Baba School Dress & Matching Centre in Kotdwar to change the name of his shop. A dispute broke out after the shopkeeper refused to comply.

According to police, they received complaints from both sides and registered FIRs. Pauri Garhwal SSP Sarvesh Panwar said that on January 31, some outsiders went to Deepak Kumar’s place and blocked the road. He said police took suo motu cognisance and registered a case against them. Panwar urged people not to disrupt peace or communal harmony and warned of strict legal action against those found guilty.

Deepak said he and his friends were celebrating Republic Day when they visited a friend’s shop. He alleged that some boys misbehaved with the shopkeeper over the shop’s name. When he asked them to stop, they said that in their religion, the word “Baba” is used only for Sidhbali Baba and no one else, and insisted that the shopkeeper change the name.

Deepak said the shopkeeper refused, and the argument escalated into a communal issue. He claimed that the boys belonged to the Bajrang Dal and that the shop owner was a Muslim. “My name is Mohammed Deepak, what’s it to you?” he said, adding that he did not understand why a case was filed against him when the other side started the dispute.

Deepak said he does not support any political party but an ideology. He added that Hanuman serves as an ideal for every gym member because he inspires hard work.

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