Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday hailed Deepak Kumar, a gym owner from Uttarakhand who rose to limelight after a video of him confronting Bajrang Dal activists harassing an elderly Muslim shopkeeper went viral on social media.
Gandhi, who recently met Kumar, shared a video of the meeting on his X handle and hailed the man for standing firm against hate.
"The ideology of harmony and love resides in the hearts of millions of Indians, but there is also fear in their minds -- Deepak has shown the path to all of them with his courage. Those who try to spread hate and intimidate society are, in truth, cowards -- never fear them," Gandhi said in his post in Hindi on X.
"Deepak has defended our tricolor and our Constitution. He stood firm against hate, protected the weak -- There is no greater patriotism than this," Gandhi said.
In the video, Kumar is seen narrating the incident in which he had to intervene to protect the Muslim shopkeeper.
Kumar says when people gathered outside his house a few days after the incident, police did not do much to disperse the mob and instead took him to the police station to ensure that the situation does not go out of control.
Gandhi also spoke to Kumar's wife and told her that there was no need to be afraid, as those opposing her husband are cowards.
Gandhi also promised to come and visit him in Kotdwar.
Kumar told Gandhi that he was not afraid of anyone apart from God.
Gandhi told Kumar that there was no bigger patriotic act than what he had done and he had protected the Constitution and the tricolour.
On Monday, Gandhi met Kumar who was accompanied by his friend Vijay Rawat, Congress leader Vaibhav Walia, among others, at the 10, Janpath residence of Congress Parliamentary Party chief Sonia Gandhi.
Kumar had also met Sonia Gandhi.
"Every human being is equal. This is Indianness, this is 'mohabbat ki dukaan'. Meeting with brother Mohammad Deepak from Uttarakhand - This same flame of unity and courage should burn in every Indian youth," Gandhi had said in a Facebook post after the meeting.
On January 26, Bajrang Dal activists protested outside the 'Baba' clothing store on Patel Marg in Kotdwar to pressure its 70-year-old owner, Vakil Ahmed, to change the name of the shop.
During the protest, clashes broke out between the activists, shop owner Vakil Ahmed and his son's friend Deepak Kumar, after which Kumar, identifying himself as 'Mohammad Deepak', forced the protesters to retreat.
On January 31, a larger group of activists again gathered outside Ahmed's shop and Kumar's gym, blocked the road and shouted slogans.
However, police intervention prevented escalation.
Three separate FIRs have been filed in connection with the incidents.
Kumar, the 42-year-old owner of The 'Hulk' gym in Uttarakhand's Kotdwara, had earlier said his business has collapsed since he confronted Bajrang Dal activists.
He had said the ongoing tension has made his livelihood a casualty of the dispute.
Following the incident, Gandhi had expressed support for Kumar and alleged that the Sangh Parivar is deliberately poisoning the economy and the society to keep India divided.
The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha had said that Kumar is a hero of India as he is fighting for the Constitution and humanity.
