Controversy over shop's name in Uttarakhand's Kotdwar resolved: Police

Bajrang Dal activists were allegedly pressuring the shop owner, Mohammad Shoaib, for some time to change the name of the clothing shop operating under the name Baba on Patel Marg in Kotdwar. They said that on January 28, Bajrang Dal activists who had come to protest outside the shop clashed and fought with Shoaib and his friend, Deepak Chand, a gym owner.

The controversy that erupted after a Hindu outfit protested against a shop being named ''Baba'' by a person from a particular community in Uttarakhand's Pauri district has been resolved, police said on Saturday. Kotdwar Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Chandra Mohan Singh said that the matter has been resolved after talks with both sides. He said that the shop's name will remain ''Baba'' and the Bajrang Dal will not hold any protest regarding it. The ASP said that a flag march will be conducted on Sunday as well, similar to Saturday, to maintain security and peace in Kotdwar. As a precautionary measure, he said, police forces have been deployed at the Kauriya border adjoining Uttar Pradesh's Bijnor district to prevent undesirable elements from entering the state and disturbing the atmosphere. Bajrang Dal activists were allegedly pressuring the shop owner, Mohammad Shoaib, for some time to change the name of the clothing shop operating under the name ''Baba'' on Patel Marg in Kotdwar. About two and a half months ago, the Bajrang Dal alleged that the name ''Baba'' could resemble the famous Hanuman temple ''Siddhbali Baba'' in Kotdwar, and on this basis, the shop owner was reportedly asked to change the shop's name. However, the shop owner had then allegedly assured of changing the name after shifting his shop to a new location. Local people said that about 10-15 days ago, after the shop was shifted to a new location 30-40 meters away, the Hindu body again protested regarding the name. They said that on January 28, Bajrang Dal activists who had come to protest outside the shop clashed and fought with Shoaib and his friend, Deepak Chand, a gym owner. During this, Chand allegedly identified himself as Mohammad Deepak and forced the protestors to leave. Once again, on January 31, a large number of workers from the Hindu body, led by the organisation's provincial head of the cow protection wing, Naresh Uniyal, arrived at the shop and started protesting. These workers included members from Dehradun and Haridwar, who were demanding the arrest of the gym owner. Meanwhile, the crowd at the scene began to swell, prompting the police to take immediate action and attempt to disperse the people. During this time, Deepak and others confronted the Bajrang Dal workers who were coming from the direction of Malviya Park, chanting slogans. This led to a confrontation between the two groups, and the situation began to escalate. However, the police's prompt intervention prevented a full-blown clash, but the Bajrang Dal workers sat down on the road near Malviya Park and continued chanting slogans. Following this, Sub-Divisional Magistrate Chatar Singh Chauhan and ASP Singh arrived at the scene and took the workers inside Malviya Park for discussions. The Bajrang Dal workers demanded Deepak's arrest, accusing him of posting controversial content on the internet. The police summoned Deepak to the scene, had him remove the post, and thus defused the situation. Subsequently, the police, with a large contingent of officers, conducted a flag march in the Kotdwar town area to maintain security and peace. During the flag march, the police force patrolled the main markets, sensitive areas, public places, and residential areas on foot and appealed to the citizens to maintain mutual brotherhood, restraint, and harmony.

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