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Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas visited Kotdwar in Uttarakhand, on Saturday, February 7, to express solidarity with gym trainer Deepak Kumar, who has been facing threats and legal action after intervening to protect an elderly Muslim shopkeeper from a communal attack.
After meeting Deepak and his family, Brittas described him as “a beacon of hope in the struggle against Hindutva communalism.” The MP spent time at Deepak’s home, meeting his mother, wife, and child. “I had hot ginger tea served by his mother, who earns her livelihood selling tea,” Brittas said.
Brittas also visited Deepak’s gym, which he said now lies deserted due to threats from communal elements. As a gesture of support, he took a membership there. He later went to the garment shop run by Muhammad Baba, the elderly shopkeeper at the centre of the controversy, and made purchases.
The MP said he formally raised objections with the local police over the handling of the case. “I registered a strong protest at the Kotdwar Police Station, which has filed a case against Deepak while shielding the rioters,” Brittas said.
Deepak Kumar drew national attention after confronting right-wing activists who were harassing an elderly Muslim shopkeeper in Kotdwar on Republic Day, objecting to the name of his decades-old garment shop. A video of the incident went viral, showing Deepak questioning the mob for targeting the elderly shopkeeper.
In the viral video, the group is seen asking Deepak Kumar his name after he confronts them, to which he replies, “My name is Muhammad Deepak”, a moment that spread rapidly across social media.
Describing the incident as a “communal rampage,” Brittas said Deepak had “single-handedly confronted a mob of nearly 150 predators.” He added that the episode stood in stark contrast to the values of Republic Day, which should “radiate the messages of brotherhood, coexistence, and equality.”
Calling Deepak’s act emblematic of resistance to communal hatred, Brittas said, “Deepak Kumar, who transformed into ‘Muhammad Deepak’, is not merely an individual—he is a diamond-bright light of hope.”