After videos of Namaz inside Lucknow’s brand-new Lulu Mall went viral, the controversy has continued to gain momentum. On July 16, 2022, Saturday, Hindu organizations recited the Hanuman Chalisa and staged a protest outside the mall. After the protests by the Hindu groups, the police detained about 20 protesters. It is notable that this protest was done after a symbolic protest that was staged on 15th July 2022 against the Namaz a day earlier.
In the video of the protest, the protesters are seen dragged by the police. The protesters were reciting the Hanuman Chalisa loudly while being taken into custody. The police were carrying them in vehicles. Saffron flags were seen in the hands of the protesters.
According to reports, the security of the mall has been beefed up. The protesters were trying to enter the Lulu mall but this could not happen due to the promptness of the police. The police had to use mild force. The protesting organizations include the Rashtriya Hindu Rakshak Dal, Karni Sena, etc.
Reportedly, a day earlier, the ‘Hindu Samaj Party’ had staged a demonstration at the same place. At that time also, people of Hindu organizations were detained. The wife of late Kamlesh Tiwari was put under house arrest. To prevent the dispute, the Lulu mall manager Sameer Verma also visited the house of Advocate Shishir Chaturvedi, the office bearer of the Hindu Mahasabha. But the controversy still persists.
Following the controversy, Lulu Mall has banned religious prayers inside its premises. Signages have been put inside the mall saying that no religious prayers will be permitted.
Namaz in the Lulu mall was part of a conspiracy
According to a report by India.com, there was a conspiracy to offer Namaz in the Lulu mall. It is said that there were a total of 8 persons involved in this Namaz. They parked their vehicles at a distance from the Lulu mall and then entered the mall. In the mall, they wanted to offer Namaz on the ground floor. But the security staff deployed on the ground floor prohibited them from offering Namaz. Later, all of them offered Namaz on the first floor and then left the mall. It is being said that the accused seen in the viral video visited the mall with the sole purpose of offering Namaz there. Police are currently looking for the accused.