4 arrested after people gather outside Lucknow's LuLu Mall to recite Sundar Kand

This comes after several videos purportedly showed people offering namaz at the mall

Police arrested four people who gathered outside the entrance gate of Lucknow's LuLu Mall on Friday to recite the Sundar Kand, according to an India Today report. The accused were sent to judicial custody for violating Section 144.

A planned Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha programme to recite the Sundar Kand in front of the mall was postponed on Friday after a meeting was held between police and mall officials, the report said. Police arrested two workers of the Hindu body who were on their way to the mall for the recitation.

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This comes in the wake of the Hindu organisation seeking strict action against people who reportedly offered namaz inside the mall and had delivered a one-week deadline for the same, the report said. The Hindu Mahasabha also released a video that purportedly showed people offering namaz at the mall, the report said.

The Hindu Mahasabha had earlier sought permission from local authorities to recite the Sundar Kand in front of the mall but the organisation then postponed the Friday event after LuLu Mall General Manager Samir Verma met with police officials.

"People from a particular community are being allowed to offer namaz inside the mall," Hindu Mahasabha National Spokesperson Shishir Chaturvedi told India Today. "The mall authorities should also allow Hindus and people from other communities to offer prayers."

The controversy first arose on Thursday after videos that purportedly showed people offering namaz inside the mall's shopping arena surfaced on the web. The Hindu Mahasabha immediately raised a strong objection and asked Hindus to boycott the mall.

An official mall administration statement said, "LuLu Mall respects all religions. We don't allow any kind of religious gatherings or prayers here."