Namaz row in Lucknow heats up, LuLu Mall puts up new notice, Section 144 imposed

Section 144 was implemented in the regions surrounding the mall on Saturday, and officers were stationed as the Hindu organisation 'Karni Sena' announced it was marching to the mall to recite Sundarkand there.

The 'Namaz versus Sundarkand' controversy heated up in Lucknow on Saturday, when police filed a FIR against a group of unidentified persons who reportedly gave namaz at the recently opened Lulu Mall here, after a right-wing Hindu party complained and asked permission to read the ancient Hanuman scripture. They were arrested for inciting hatred between various communities and inciting religious emotions.

Section 144 was implemented in the regions surrounding the mall on Saturday, and officers were stationed as the Hindu organisation 'Karni Sena' announced it was marching to the mall to recite Sundarkand there.

The previous case was filed on the complaint of Lulu Mall executives, who stated that the persons seen in the video were not their employees. On Friday, mall officials posted posters across the property proclaiming, "No religious prayers will be tolerated in the mall."

The mall was opened by Abu Dhabi-based Lulu Group, founded by Indian-origin billionaire Yussuf Ali M A, and was inaugurated by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday.

Right-wing organisations have reacted strongly to a popular video on social media showing a group of individuals offering namaz in an open place in the mall's retail arena.

The Akhil Bhartiya Hindu Mahasabha has issued a warning, stating that if namaz is delivered at the mall again, it would protest by chanting the 'Hanuman Chalisa.'

"An FIR under IPC Sections 153-A (promoting enmity between different communities) and 295-A (deliberate conduct designed to offend religious sentiments) was launched on Thursday against unidentified people," said Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Gopal Krishna Choudhary. The situation is being looked into."

Lulu Mall is 2.2 million square feet in size and is located on Amar Shaheed Path in Golf City. The Lulu Group has opened malls in Kochi, Thrissur, Bengaluru, and Thiruvananthapuram, and the group's chairman has promised a comprehensive expansion strategy in Ahmedabad, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Delhi.