Rahul Gandhi Meets Deepak Kumar, Promises to ‘Take Membership at His Gym’

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi met Uttarakhand youth Mohammad Deepak on Monday and shared a photograph of their interaction on Instagram, underscoring a message of unity and equality. The meeting comes weeks after Deepak found himself at the centre of a controversy in Kotdwar that drew political attention and public debate.

Sharing the image online, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha wrote in Hindi, "Every human being is equal . This is Indianity, this is the shop of love. Met Mohammad Deepak from Uttarakhand. Such a flame of unity and courage should burn in every young Indian."

The episode dates back to January 26 in Kotdwar, Uttarakhand. Activists from Bajrang Dal gathered outside a clothing store named Baba School Dress in Patel Market. They reportedly asked the 70-year-old owner, Wakeel Ahmed, to remove the word ‘baba’ from the shop’s name, arguing that it should be associated only with Hindu religious figures.