Kerala MP John Brittas takes one-year membership at ‘Muhammad’ Deepak’s gym in solidarity | WATCH

Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas from Kerala visited ‘Muhammad’ Deepak, against whom a police case was registered for stopping Bajrang Dal activists who had demanded that a shop owned by a Muslim change its name. Brittas expressed solidarity with Deepak Kumar by visiting his residence in Uttarakhand. He said Deepak was a role model for the entire country and that his actions conveyed a message of love and fraternity against politics of hatred. Brittas also assured him of legal and political support and met his family members.
 

Brittas pointed out that Deepak has been suffering major financial losses due to his stand, with a sharp decline in the number of people visiting the gym he runs. To support him against threats of boycott, the MP visited Deepak’s gymnasium and took a one-year membership worth ₹10,000. He added that there were attempts to socially boycott Deepak and disrupt his livelihood, and stressed that people like him were essential for the country to defeat hateful ideologies.

The controversy arose after Bajrang Dal activists demanded that a 30-year-old clothing shop of a Muslim tailor named ‘Baba School Dress’, located at Kotdwar town in Pauri Garhwal district, change its name. The protesters alleged that the word ‘Baba’ in the shop’s name was part of the name of a local temple. Deepak, a local resident, intervened when the protesters created a ruckus in front of the shop on Republic Day. A video of him responding “Mera naam Muhammad Deepak” when asked his name by the protesters later went viral on social media.