FIR lodged after row over namaz at LuLu mall in Lucknow
India Today
A controversy broke out after a video purportedly showing a group of people offering namaz at LuLu Mall in Lucknow surfaced on social media on Thursday.
The authorities of LuLu mall in Uttar Pradesh's Lucknow on Thursday filed a police complaint after a video purportedly showing a group of people offering namaz at the mall premises surfaced on social media.
An FIR has been registered under sections 153A (Promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion), 295A (Deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings), 341 (Punishment for wrongful restraint) and other relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code.
The LuLu mall authorities denied having any role to play in the controversy and have filed a complaint against unidentified persons at Sushant Golf City Police Station.
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The mall was inaugurated by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday and has been opened by Abu Dhabi-based LuLu Group, led by Indian-origin billionaire Yussuf Ali M A.
After the video surfaced on social media, some members of the Akhil Bhartiya Hindu Mahasabha reached outside the gates of the mall and staged a protest.
Sameer Verma, general manager the mall in Lucknow, in a video statement said, "LuLu Mall respects all religions. Any kind of religious work or prayer is not permitted here. We train our floor staff and security staff to keep an eye on such activities."
