Lucknow: 2 more held in Lulu Mall namaz row; total 7 arrested

The arrests have been made after Adityanath Monday directed the administration to act tough against elements “hell-bent on vitiating the atmosphere” in the state.

A video of people offering namaz at Lulu Mall had surfaced on social media on July 13.

The incident kicked up a row after a right-wing Hindu outfit objected to the namaz being offered on the mall premises and sought permission to recite the Hanuman Chalisa there.

Some members of the Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha staged a sit-in at the gate of Lulu Mall on July 14.

Shishir Chaturvedi, who claimed to be the national spokesperson of the Mahasabha, had alleged that people belonging to a particular community were being allowed to offer prayers inside the mall.

The mall authorities should also allow Hindus and other religions to offer prayers inside the mall, he had said.

Sameer Verma, general manager of the mall in Lucknow, had issued a video statement after the controversy, saying, “Lulu Mall respects all religions. Any kind of religious work or prayer is not permitted here. We train our floor staff and security staff to keep an eye on such activities.” On July 15, two people were arrested by police and at least 15 detained for creating a ruckus when they tried to enter the mall premises without permission.

The local police have beefed up security near the mall in Shaheed Path area following the incident.

The mall, belonging to Abu Dhabi based Lulu group, was inaugurated by Adityanath earlier this month in presence of senior party leaders.