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LuLu Mall Namaz row: Misinformation over names of arrested, say police; Ayodhya seer's video goes viral | Updates
Lucknow police commissionerate has clarified that the Hindus arrested earlier were because of chanting Hanuman Chalisa at the LuLu Mall as misinformation spread on social media that Hindus posed as Muslims and offered namaz.
As four people were arrested on Tuesday for offering namaz in Lucknow's LuLu Mall, the Lucknow Police Commissionarate claimed that there has been misinformation regarding some arrests. The commissionerate clarified the names of those who have been arrested for offering namaz and for chanting Hanuman Chalisa -- in the wake of fresh controversy after some people falsely claimed that Hindu men posed as Muslims and were arrested.
Controversy over names of arrested
The police on Tuesday clarified that Saroj Nath Yogi, Krishna Kumar Pathak and Gaurav Goswami were arrested on July 15, for trying to recite Hanuman Chalisa inside the mall. Arshad Ali was another person arrested on the same day who was trying to offer namaz inside the mall. The police clarified that none of these persons were in the video which in the first place went viral.
For offering namaz, as recorded in teh viral video on July 12, 4 people have been arrested. They are Mohd Rehan of Lucknow, Atif Khan of Mohammadi in Lakhimpur Kheri district and two brothers, Mohd Lokman Ali and Mohd Noman Ali, of Laharpur, Sitapur.
'Dur Khade Raho' video of Ayodhya's Paramhans Das viral
Ayodhya's Paramhans Das was taken into preventive custody on Tuesday as he reached LuLu Mall to purify the area after people offered namaz on July 12. The video of the seer asking the police personnel to maintain distance from him has gone viral.
“As I am wearing saffron clothes, cops didn’t allow me to enter the mall,” Paramhans Das later alleged.
Adityanath's strong message; LuLu mall's statement
Amid the raging controversy, chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday asked the Lucknow administration to take serious steps, following which the 4 arrests were made on Tuesday. “The LuLu mall that is carrying out business activities has been turned into a political hotbed. Unnecessary statements are being made by certain people. Demonstrations are being organised to obstruct the movement of the people visiting the mall," the chief minister said.
The LuLu mall had earlier clarified that no religious activity is allowed inside the premises and put up notice boards mentioning the same. Amid controversies that the most of the mall staff are Muslim as the mall is owned by Indian-origin Muslim billionaire, the mall authorities put out a fresh statement and said over 80% of its staff are Hindu. “It is very unfortunate that some people for their own selfish interests are trying to target our institution. Among our employees are local residents, and people from UP and across the country. Of these, over 80 per cent are Hindu, the rest are Muslims, Christians and others. Nobody in our organisation is allowed to conduct any religious activity.
