Lulu Mall has said that no religious prayers are permitted at its property.
Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan's comments on the Lulu Mall controversy in Lucknow, which was triggered by a viral video of Muslim men offering namaz at the mall, came off as unexpectedly hilarious today.
To the amusement of onlookers, Mr Khan attempted to sidestep the sensitive issue saying, "Humne na Lulu dekha hai, na Lolu (I have neither seen Lulu nor Lolu)."
Before walking away, he added that he had never set foot inside a mall and that only those who are aware of the subject must be questioned about it.
"What is this 'Lulu Lulu', are there no other stories to focus on?" he asked.
On July 12, a video of eight Muslim men offering namaz at Lucknow's newly inaugurated Lulu Mall went viral on social media. A police case was registered on the complaint of mall authorities and four of these men were arrested by the police.
Some Hindu organisations sought permission to recite the Hanuman Chalisa at the mall in response, which was denied. Three men were subsequently arrested as they sought to hold prayers on July 15.
The mall is run by Abu Dhabi-based Lulu Group of Indian-origin billionaire Yussuf Ali MA.
Two outlets of the mall in Kerala also made headlines recently, when thousands of shoppers made their way into the mall to avail of a special 50 per cent discount.
Incredible footage was seen from the Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi outlets of the mall with thousands of people either scrambling to get to the best deals or waiting in never-ending queues.