With call for ‘Mohammad’ Deepak’s killing, Hindu Raksha Dal’s Lalit Sharma stakes claim in hardline Hindutva ranks

Weeks after gym owner ‘Mohammed’ Deepak Kumar Kashyap set an example by standing up to Bajrang Dal activists allegedly harassing a 70-year-old Muslim man in Kotdwar, Uttarakhand, the chief of the Hindu Raksha Dal (HRD)’s Dehradun unit, Lalit Sharma, released a video threatening Deepak and directing HRD members and other Hindutva fringe groups to gather outside Deepak’s gym on Thursday, January 12, to “fix his brain.”

In the video, Sharma used expletives to address Deepak, calling him a “secular keeda (insect)” and stating that he needed to be killed. “We will bring a group of Sanatanis, and you can bring a group of Jihadis with you. We will see if Jihadis win or Sanatanis,” Sharma said.

After the video was circulated by journalists and activists on social media, Sharma issued another statement reiterating his remarks, despite police reportedly asking him to delete the video. “If cases are filed against me this time (on Thursday), the repercussions will be severe,” he said.

On the day of the planned gathering, HRD members were stopped by police from proceeding toward Deepak’s gym. In response, Sharma, in a news byte, announced a reward of ₹5.51 lakh for anyone who would slit Deepak’s throat.

“Whoever will cut Deepak’s throat, Hindu Raksha Dal will reward him 5 lakh 51 thousand rupees.”

Lalit Sharma of Hindu Raksha Dal publicly announced a bounty on Deepak Kumar’s head. It is a BIG SHAME for Uttarakhand Police that this man is still out.pic.twitter.com/MRnEuFDaQZ

— Kaushik Raj (@kaushikrj6) February 12, 2026

Pauri Garhwal SSP Sarvesh Panwar confirmed to Alt News that an FIR had been registered against Lalit Sharma in Dehradun following his open threat of violence against Deepak. Calls to Dehradun SP Pramendra Singh Dobal went unanswered.

Hate Speech, Vandalism, Vigilantism: Lalit Sharma has a Spectacular CV

Lalit Sharma, a relatively lesser known name in the north Indian Hindutva circles, has a record of delivering similar hate speeches, a trait that places him next to his more illustrious compatriots, like Yati Narsinghanand of the Dasna temple.

In the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack in April last year, in which 26 non-Muslims lost their lives, Sharma had announced that members of the Hindu Raksha Dal would conduct rounds starting at 10 am on April 24 in Dehradun. In a video statement, he said that if they found a Kashmiri Muslim, they would “treat” them — a term widely interpreted as a threat of targeted assault.

“We will not wait for the government to work… Kashmiri Muslims, you have time until 10 am tomorrow to leave from here, or else there will be action taken against you that you can’t even imagine,” Sharma said. The video was uploaded from his official account and was later deleted.

Hindu Raksha Dal workers also gathered outside the district magistrate’s office to issue threats against Kashmiri Muslims in Uttarakhand. Sharma, who was present at the gathering, said: “If the entire Hindu community starts doing wrong things in the name of religion… as long as Islam exists here, these kinds of incidents will keep happening. Muslims commit such acts in Kashmir because they are in power there. Where they are weak, they don’t do such things…” He also discouraged people from visiting Kashmir. A procession followed, during which slogans such as “Kashmiri mullon wapas jao” (Kashmiri Muslims, go back) were raised.

On December 29, HRD president Pinky Chaudhary and members of the outfit’s Ghaziabad chapter distributed swords to Hindu families at their office, citing alleged atrocities against Hindus in Bangladesh. They stated that if “Islamic fundamentalists” harassed any Hindu family in India, the HRD would “teach them a lesson.” The swords were distributed not only at the office but also openly on the streets, accompanied by claims that Hindu girls were in danger from Muslims and needed to defend themselves.

A case was registered against Chaudhary, 16 named individuals, and around 30 unidentified persons. Chaudhary, his son, and 10 others were arrested following the FIR. He is currently out on bail.

Following police action against Chaudhary, Sharma organized a ‘Lath Vitaran’ (lathi distribution) ceremony in protest. In a video from the event, Sharma said: “We are only doing this for the Muslims. We would never hurt a Hindu because Hindus never hurt our religious sentiments, only Muslims do… So when Vidharmis hurt our daughters and our sisters, Hindus can use these lathis to crack open their skulls.”

The Hindu Raksha Dal’s Uttarakhand unit was allegedly involved in the vandalism of a shrine dedicated to Sufi poet Baba Bulleh Shah on January 25. The shrine, located within the premises of Wynberg-Allen School in Mussoorie, was damaged using hammers and iron rods. Religious books kept inside the structure were also desecrated.

Police registered a case under BNS sections pertaining to acts prejudicial to communal harmony, disturbing public tranquillity, and defiling a place of worship with intent to insult a religion. No arrests have been made so far, and the matter remains under investigation.

The alleged vandalism drew accolades from HRD chief Pinky Chaudhary. On social media, he “saluted” the Uttarakhand unit while sharing a video of the attack on the shrine. “My Hindu Raksha Dal team today sent Bulleh Shah, who was in Devbhoomi for 70 years, back to Pakistan,” he said.

Following the police crackdown, several HRD members released video statements claiming Sharma was being wrongly implicated in the vandalism case. At least five individuals appeared on camera, identified themselves, and asserted that Sharma had no role in the incident and that they were responsible. (Links here, here)

Interestingly, two days before the vandalism, Sharma had stated that his team would break the shrine. “There’s no need for Bulleh Shah, Mulle Shah… What is this shrine doing in our Devbhoomi?”, he had said in the video. “I am urging the authorities to demolish this structure by Tuesday otherwise Hindu Raksha Dal will bring hammers in our hands and we will demolish it ourselves.”

 

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A post shared by Lalit Sharma (@hrdlalitsharma)

A few days before the vandalism of Bulleh Shah’s shrine, Hindu Raksha Dal Delhi vandalised the tomb of Syed Kamal Khan in Yamuna Ghat. 

Following the desecration of the shrine, some members of another fringe group called Kali Sena vandalised another shrine. They claimed that the structure was illegal. According to an India TV video report, the workers had taken permission from the owner of the place in writing. 

 

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A post shared by AnKit Kaintura (@ankitkaintura07)

Recently, Hindu Raksha Dal members were recorded brutally assaulting a Muslim man accused of ‘Love Jihad’ — a conspiracy theory peddled by Hindutva groups which claims that Muslim men trap Hindu women into romantic/spousal relationships with the motive to convert them into Islam. Sharma uploaded the video with the text, “No Deepak will come to save him” in the video.

On January 24, HRD members staged a protest in a Dehradun neighbourhood targeting Muslim-owned establishments, alleging the municipal corporation “favours Mullahs and obstructs Hindus”. Lalit Sharma alleged that the Muslims in the area harassed Hindu women. He also claimed that authorities “took bribes” when Muslims encroached on land but “assaulted Hindus” for similar violations, and cautioned that Muslims would not relent “until the Hindu community throws them out of here”.

He said the group had informed the administration six times, and since there was no action from police and administration, for the “safety of daughters and sisters”, the Hindu Raksha Dal would take matters into its own hands.

Again, on January 23, addressing a Hindutva rally, Sharma made inflammatory remarks, saying that the caste divisions in the Hindu community needed to be erased for the whole community to come together, unlike the Muslims who had the Shia, Sunni divisions among them. He made the crowd chant slogans like Bharat mein rehna hoga, toh Jay Sri Ram kehna hoga. “Did I ever teach you anything wrong? (Unanimous no) But if Hindus do anything to Muslims, I am with them. If they commit burglary at their house, I am with them. But if Hindus fight amongst themselves, I am not with them”, he was heard saying. 

Sharma also has a history of harassing Muslim vendors. In one such case last year, on April 9, he charged a Muslim vendor with eating up a major chunk of a footpath. However, when a passerby intervened, Sharma had to back off. 

 

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A post shared by Lalit Sharma (@hrdlalitsharma)

In another video, Sharma is seen harassing a vendor for not writing his name on the shop’s hoarding as per the state government’s instructions. 

 

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A post shared by Salman Ali (@true_media_house)

Sharma, HRD and Police: It’s Complicated

From the Hindu Raksha Dal’s videos, it becomes quite clear that Sharma and his compatriots do not hesitate to criticize police when they do not act according to the Hindutva group’s expectations. At the same time, they are often seen hobnobbing with the police top brass.

For instance, a team from the HRD Uttarakhand unit had planned to travel to Pithori village after alleging that a Ravidas Jayanti procession had been stopped by members of a “special community.” The organisation announced it would visit the village to recite the Hanuman Chalisa and hold a gathering. Police intercepted the group en route and detained several workers across the state. Security was also deployed outside the residence of HRD national president Pinky Chaudhary, while in Shamli district of Uttar Pradesh, police were stationed outside the homes of some workers.

The group’s Saharanpur district in-charge, Gaurav Koti, was detained at his residence. Members said the Uttarakhand team was stopped at the Biharigarh toll plaza and made to meet SP Modi, who assured them that action would be taken against a person they accused of instigating the incident. The organisation later asked supporters not to proceed to Pithori village and returned after saying a rally would be organised at a later date.

In a separate message, the organisation praised Saharanpur SSP Ashish Tiwari, who has been promoted to DIG and transferred to Lucknow, stating he had maintained cordial relations with them.

Videos of the confrontation show state president Lalit Sharma insisting on entering the village. Saying that “Sanatanis do not need permission,” they appear to object to the police decision to stop the procession. In a speech addressing Muslims, Lalit used several expletives while asserting his influence, claiming no one could stop his protests from Dehradun to Ghaziabad. He also issued open threats, describing Hindus as warriors unafraid of betrayal and making incendiary remarks, including that Hindus would continue to fight even after their heads were severed.

Lalit also appears to be well-resourced. He is seen using a Mahindra Scorpio and carrying an iPhone. His black Scorpio, bearing a Hindu Raksha Dal sticker, is frequently stopped by police at toll plazas. In many instances, a cameraman is already present, filming Sharma’s arrival and his exit from the vehicle. The footage is then edited in slow motion and uploaded on Facebook, seemingly as a show of strength and influence.

Below is an image of Singh presenting an HRD memento bearing the phrase ‘The Best Way Out’ to Superintendent of Police (Traffic), Dehradun, Lokjeet Singh.

According to a post by Sharma, the Hindu Raksha Dal Uttarakhand team was invited by Muzaffarnagar police chief Sanjay Verma, who helped resolve a dispute between the organisation and SP City Satyanarayan Prajapati. The group was apparently told that all organisations were to be respected and treated equally. Pictures of the two top cops being felicitated and given mementos was uploaded by Sharma.