Lucknow: Amid the ongoing namaz controversy in Lucknow's Lulu Mall, Mohammed Rizwan, father of one among the youth spotted offering prayers, said on Saturday that the police initially detained his son saying there was a complaint of molestation against him, while the family later found out about the prayer issue. Speaking to ETV Bharat, Rizwan further claimed that the group had no nefarious intentions behind the act.
"Rehan is undergoing Islamic lessons. The group is comprised of well-educated and decent youth. I was not here at the time, as I had gone to my village. I am not sure whether they went to the mall or offered prayers. There is no question of any conspiracy, these allegations are false and these boys are being blamed for no reason," he said.
Inquired about the police detention, and subsequent arrest, of his son, Rizwan said the cops cited a molestation complaint as reason for their arrival. "When we asked them the reason for their visit, they asked us to open the door. After that they conducted searches all around our house, and asked where my son was. When we asked the reason, they said the group had molested a girl," he stated.
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"They assured us and went to residences of other boys, doing the same things over and over again. They did not, for once, mention namaz. We came to know later that they captured them for the act of offering namaz," Rizwan said.
On being asked whether he had not heard or seen anything regarding the Lulu Mall controversy, the former noted that there was no way to identify those seen in the clip, as their backs were turned. "The video shows the group from the back, and there is no way to identify anyone," he said.
"A devotee can always offer prayers, and we have been offering prayers in public places all this while. It is not a sin to perform prayers. I have been consulting legal advice, and very soon we will have lawyers representing us in court against the arrest," Rizwan noted.
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The issue erupted on June 12, two days after the Lulu mall, belonging to the UAE-based Lulu group, opened its doors in Lucknow. A clip of multiple people offering namaz went viral on social media, leading to online as well as offline backlash.
A group of people were detained subsequently for attempting to enter the mall and recite Sunderkand and Hanuman Chalisa. Shishir Chaturvedi, spokesperson of the Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha, termed the establishment 'Lulu masjid' and alleged that persons from only one particular community were being allowed to offer prayers on mall premises, leading to mall management issuing a statement over the incident.
