LUCKNOW A controversy erupted in Lucknow after some people allegedly offered namaz on the premises of the newly-opened LuLu mall in Lucknow, forcing its management to lodge an FIR against the unidentified people on Thursday night, at Sushant Golf City police station, for obstructing visitors. The mall management on Friday put up a notice stating that no religious work or prayers will be permitted in the mall.
The mall was inaugurated by chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday and was opened for visitors on Monday.
Police said a purported video of people offering namaz in the newly inaugurated mall on Tuesday had gone viral. The mall administration said an internal inquiry found that no staff members were involved in the incident.
Police said the FIR was lodged on the complaint of mall PRO Sibtain Hussain under sections 153 A (1) (promoting enmity by words, either spoken or written, or by signs or by visible representations on grounds of religion), 295A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage reli¬gious feelings of any class by insulting religion or reli¬gious beliefs), 341 (wrongfully restraining any person) and 505 (statements conducing to public mischief) of the Indian Penal Code.
A few Hindu organisations become vocal in protest against the incident and warned of reciting ‘Hanuman Chalisa’ and ‘Sundar Kand’ on the mall premises. An office-bearer of the Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha (ABHM) Shishir Chaturvedi was house arrested and senior police officials visited his house to convince him to call off his protest. He called off the protest, as of now, after an assurance by police officials that stern action would be taken against those involved in the mall incident. Chaturvedi said he would resume his protest if these people were not arrested within in a week.
{{/usCountry}}A few Hindu organisations become vocal in protest against the incident and warned of reciting ‘Hanuman Chalisa’ and ‘Sundar Kand’ on the mall premises. An office-bearer of the Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha (ABHM) Shishir Chaturvedi was house arrested and senior police officials visited his house to convince him to call off his protest. He called off the protest, as of now, after an assurance by police officials that stern action would be taken against those involved in the mall incident. Chaturvedi said he would resume his protest if these people were not arrested within in a week.
{{/usCountry}}“The police are scanning CCTV footages of the mall to identify and trace the people involved in the act,” said AP Singh, station in-charge, Sushant Golf City police station.
On Friday, the police stopped a ‘monk’ from entering the mall after right-wing groups announced to hold ‘Sunder Kand’ path in the mall in retaliation to the namaz.
Earlier in the day, district administration officials also visited the mall to have an interaction with the mall administration over the issue. Besides, police force was deployed at the mall in apprehension of protests from Hindu organisations.