A stand of courage, a costly price! Muhammad Deepak’s gym shrinks from 150 members to 15

New Delhi: Until recently, Hulk Gym on Badrinath Road in Uttarakhand’s Kotdwar was a thriving neighbourhood fitness space with around 150 regular members. Today, it stands nearly empty. Its owner, ‘Muhammad’ Deepak, now counts just 15 clients—a sharp and painful fallout from a stand he took to protect a 70-year-old Muslim shopkeeper from a group of alleged Bajrang Dal members.

The economic consequences have been crushing. Deepak Kumar pays ₹40,000 every month as rent for the gym floor and another ₹16,000 towards a home loan. With income from the gym collapsing, the household is currently surviving on earnings from his elderly mother’s small tea stall.

The controversy dates back to January 26, when the mob allegedly linked to the Bajrang Dal confronted Vakil Ahmed, the owner of Baba School Dress, objecting to the word “Baba” in the shop’s name. Locals later pointed out that several other establishments in the area use the same word without objection, fuelling allegations that Ahmed was singled out because of his religious identity.

When the mob targeted the elderly shopkeeper, Deepak stepped in. Asked his name during the confrontation, he replied, “My name is Muhammad Deepak,” a response that later became a symbol of resistance for many—and a trigger for backlash.

While social media briefly celebrated him as a figure of courage, the ground reality in Kotdwar turned hostile. Deepak says many local families are now hesitant to send their children to his gym, fearing social repercussions. Online abuse and critical television debates followed, leaving him isolated in his own town.

In a show of solidarity, CPM Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas from Kerala visited Kotdwar last day, walked through the town with Deepak, and formally took a one-year membership at Hulk Gym. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also publicly praised Deepak, calling him a “hero of India”.

However, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami criticised the opposition for supporting Deepak, describing it as “appeasement” and remarking that they supported people who placed “Muhammad” before their “sacred Hindu names”.

For Muhammad Deepak, the labels—hero or villain—mean little now. What remains is a near-empty gym, mounting bills and a quiet determination to stand by a choice that cost him almost everything, except his conscience.