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After Yogi rebukes, police arrest 4 for offering Namaz at Lucknow's LuLu Mall
Police, have, however said that none of the accused are staff of the newly-opened LuLu Mall. Earlier, the mall management had also said that an internal inquiry into the mall revealed no staff members were involved in the incident.
Four persons were arrested on Tuesday in connection with the controversy regarding offering of Namaz inside the newly opened LuLu Mall in Lucknow. Officials said the persons were held for offering prayers in an “unauthorised manner” and efforts are underway to nab four others in the case.
According to a PTI report, police, however, said that none of the accused are staff of the mall. Earlier, the mall administration had also said that an internal inquiry found that no staff members were involved in the incident, a video of which was widely shared online.
“The accused have been identified as Mohammad Rehan, Atif Khan, Mohammad Lokman and Mohammad Noman. All of them are residents of Lucknow,” city police commissioner DK Thakur was quoted as saying by PTI.
The arrests come a day after Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath directed the Lucknow administration to take the LuLu mall controversy “very seriously”, saying the venue has been turned into a “political hotbed”.
The controversy flared up after a video showing some people offering Namaz on the premises of the mall was widely shared online. The mall authorities soon after issued a statement and also put up a notice, saying they respect all religions and any form of religious activity will not be permitted inside the venue. Furthermore, a First Information Report (FIR) was registered by the authorities against unidentified persons.
The matter escalated after a few right-wing groups said they would recite ‘Hanuman Chalisa’ and ‘Sundar Kand’ on the mall premises, adding the venue is practising ‘love jihad’ (a term used by saffron outfits to refer to marriages between Muslim men and Hindu women) as 70 per cent of the staff belonged to the minority community.
The mall management has dismissed the claim saying that 80 per cent of its staff are Hindus.
On Sunday, two people were arrested after they entered the mall and began chanting ‘Hanuman Chalisa’. Shortly after they were arrested, at least 15 members of a right-wing group were detained for creating chaos while attempting to enter the shopping mall. These people were eventually let off with a warning not to create a fracas.
