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Amid Namaz row, Lucknow LuLu Mall puts up new notice, 3 detained for attempting to read Sundarkand outside
LuLu Mall namaz row: Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha's Shishir Chaturvedi claimed 70% of the mall staff are Muslim and called the mall ‘LuLu Masjid’.
After a controversy broke out over the viral video of people offering namaz inside the newly inaugurated LuLu Mall in Lucknow, the mall authorities on Friday put up notice boards at several places inside the mall mentioning that religious prayers will not be permitted in the mall. Meanwhile, the Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha released another video of people offering namaz at the mall and called the mall LuLu Masjid.
The Uttar Pradesh Police on Friday detained three people from the LuLu Mall for allegedly attempting to recite Sundarkand inside the mall premises. Police said they belonged to Hindu Samaj Party and were detained at the mall's entry gate.
"Three people were detained from the entry gate of Lulu Mall in Lucknow for allegedly attempting to recite Sundarkand inside the mall premises. Three people of the Hindu Samaj Party were detained at the mall's gate. Currently, there's a peaceful situation," ADCP South, Lucknow, Rajesh Srivastava said.
What is the controversy over Lucknow LuLu Mall?
LuLu Group opened its first mall in Lucknow on July 10. Chief minister Yogi Adityanath inaugurated the mall. Group chairman, Indian-origin billionaire Yusuff Ali MA was also present. Soon after its inauguration, the namaz video surfaced leading to complaints from the Hindu group that claimed the mall is practising 'love jihad' as 70% of the mall staff are Muslim, the complaint read.
Countering the complaint of the Hindu group, the LuLu Mall authorities filed an FIR against unidentified persons.
According to reports, LuLu Mall authorities on Friday went to Hindu Mahasasabha national spokesperson Shishir Chaturvedi's residence as the Hindu group were planning a protest and assured him that there will be no namaz reading inside the mall.
Who were seen offering namaz in the viral video?
While the Hindu body claimed the employees of the mall were offering namaz, the mall authorities said their internal inquiry found that no staff members were involved.
