Lucknow: The Hindu outfits have said that the newly built Lulu Mall in Lucknow will soon turn into a centre of love Jihad. They also allege that 20% of Hindu girls and 80% of Muslim men are appointed there to promote that.
Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath inaugurated the Lulu Mall in on July 10. Lulu Mall, located on the Amar Shaheed Path, Golf City, houses some of the biggest brands in India, including the mega LuLu Hypermarket and the family entertainment zone Funtura.
According to sources in the district administration, the controversy cropped up after a video clipping of the Muslims offering Namaz on the premises of the mall went viral on social media on Thursday.
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Immediately after that, the Akhil Bhartiya Hindu Mahasabha said that if Namaz was offered there, its members would recite the Hanuman Chalisa in protest and urged the Hindus to boycott the mall. The outfit also said that Yogi Adityanath had already banned the offering of Namaz or other religious activities in public places. Nevertheless, a few people defied the order by offering Namaz at Lulu Mall where chairman of the Lulu Group Yusuffali MA was also present on the occasion.
The mall spread over 2.2 million square feet, houses 15 dining restaurants and cafes and a food court with 25 brand outlets that have a capacity of seating 1,600 people. There are five malls of Lulu Group, including the one in Lucknow. The others are in Kochi, Bengaluru, Thiruvananthapuram, and Thrissur.
A few groups opposed to such a huge business centre in the city are creating controversy in the name of religion, an official requesting anonymity said.