Namaz at UP mall: Adityanath warns against politicising row

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath has sounded a stern warning against “politicisation” of a row over offering the namaz at the newly opened LuLu Mall in Lucknow, directing the administration to strictly deal with “mischief makers” trying to “vitiate the atmosphere” and stoke “communal conflict”. Adityanath’s direction to senior administrative and police officers came late Monday following protests outside the mall by right wing organisations on Saturday.

Three people had attempted to enter the mall on Friday and recite the Sundarkand after reports that some members of the minority community had offered the namaz prayers at the mall. They were later arrested.

Separately, on Tuesday, four people reciting the namaaz were finally arrested by the police under charges of promoting enmity on grounds of religion, and intending to outrage religious feelings, among others. Two of them belong to Sitapur. The police is further trying to identify the remaining 3-4 people part of the group which was seen offering namaaz in the video.


The chief minister’s statement seems to defend the UAE-based retailing major that has had to issue repeated clarifications over the past few days that it does not support religious activities on its premises and that, contrary to allegations, 80% of its staff belong to the majority community.

The LuLu Group International, owned by MA Yusuff Ali who hails from Kerala, has built the mall with an investment of Rs 2,000 crore and is further investing Rs 2,500 crore to develop a mall each in Varanasi and Prayagraj, and a food processing hub in Greater Noida.

“In Lucknow, a mall has opened and is working according to its commercial establishment. To make it into an adda (hub) of politics, issue unnecessary statements and in its name, stage protests on streets and obstruct traffic despite repeatedly telling the Lucknow administration... efforts are being made to stoke anarchy and communal conflict. Here, the administration should take the matter seriously and no mischief should be tolerated,” Yogi said, adding that such elements that are fanning unnecessary matters and trying to “vitiate the atmosphere” should be dealt with strictly.

The CM also repeated his earlier direction that no street will be used for any puja or other programs and no permission should be given to organise religious functions.