DEHRADUN: An elderly Muslim trader in Kotdwar, Pauri Garhwal, was forced to change the name of his shop after nearly 40 Bajrang Dal members held a demonstration outside his premises on Saturday evening, claiming the shop’s name misled people into thinking it was owned by a Hindu. The incident, which led to the deployment of additional police forces in the city, came six days after two Kashmiri shawl sellers were assaulted by right-wing workers in Dehradun.
The demonstration took place while chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami was visiting the town to inaugurate a two-day bird festival. A heavy police presence was maintained in the area after the group — arriving from Dehradun — gathered outside a school uniform shop run by the elderly trader, objecting to the use of the term ‘Baba’ in the shop’s name.
The protest followed a video, widely circulated on social media, in which a man identifying himself as ‘Mohammed Deepak’ confronted a group of Bajrang Dal workers for pressuring the shopkeeper to change the name. The video was recorded on Jan 26, and the man was later identified as Deepak Kumar, a local fitness influencer who runs a gym in vicinity. In the video, Kumar is heard defending the shopkeeper, saying, “Why should the shopkeeper change the name which has been there for nearly 30 years in the market?”Kumar also countered the claim that the name ‘Baba’ was exclusive to Hinduism. “If you have problems with the term Baba, then there are Peer Babas in the Muslim community also. Then why can’t he use that name…” When asked for his identity, he responded, “My name is Mohammed Deepak; do you have any problem with that?” The video ends with both sides engaged in a brief scuffle, with locals joining Kumar in pushing back the protesters. On Saturday, Kumar told TOI that 30–40 Bajrang Dal members had gathered near his gym following the video. “They have gathered near my gymnasium… I am not sure what they plan to do,” he said before abruptly ending the call.State convenor of Bajrang Dal, Vikas Verma, told TOI, “Our members were well within their right to ask the shopkeeper to change his shop’s name, as Babas are only in Hindus and not in the Muslim community. Also, the Hindu man falsely introduced himself as Mohammed Deepak, which created confusion and seemed to justify religious conversion,” he said. He added that their members in Kotdwar would lodge a complaint against Kumar for assaulting them during the Jan 26 confrontation.Pauri Garhwal SSP Sarvesh Panwar confirmed that security arrangements had been made. “The situation is under control, and no violence has been reported so far. Police will act as per the applicable legal provisions,” he said.
