ABVP protests by chanting Hanuman Chalisa at Lucknow University over namaz row
Lucknow (PTI): Police detained several people after tensions flared on Tuesday at Lucknow University when ABVP members sought to confront the recent offering of namaz by reciting Hanuman Chalisa near the Laal Baradari mosque on the campus.
According to officials, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) activists assembled near the Laal Baradari area and raised slogans of "Jai Shri Ram" while moving in groups inside the campus.
Visuals showed police repeatedly stopping the protesters from advancing further.
The protesters later sat on a road in front of the mosque and began reciting the Hanuman Chalisa, demanding "shuddhikaran" (purification) of the place where namaz was allegedly offered a few days ago.
Police intervened and detained some of the protesters, who were seated inside a bus parked on the campus and then taken to police lines. Videos also showed a few protesters being forcibly removed from the campus.
A senior police officer present at the university said, "As of now, we are handling the situation. We will update you about the future course sometime later."
Lucknow University Proctor Rakesh Dwivedi said, "We are talking to students and will sort this out." On being asked about the namaz controversy, he said, "We have provided everything about the (namaz) controversy to the police."
On being asked whether this meant that police were seeking registration of an FIR against those who offered namaz, he said, "It is for the police to do their part. We have cleared our position in writing to the police on the subject."
The protest comes a day after members of the National Students' Union of India (NSUI) staged a demonstration alleging the closure of a place inside the university where Muslim students had been offering namaz for years.
NSUI's Uttar Pradesh unit vice president Aryan Mishra had claimed that the Laal Baradari mosque inside the university was locked on Saturday.
Muslims students offered namaz there on Sunday evening with NSUI volunteers guarding them, he said.
Mishra said that Muslims students pray at the mosque while Hindu students offer prayers at a temple near gate number 1.
An ABVP office-bearer earlier warned that if namaz was allowed inside the university campus, they too would chant the Hanuman Chalisa there.
Police presence remained heavy on the campus on Tuesday to prevent any escalation, officials said. Visuals showed groups of youths marching inside the university premises and being stopped by security personnel at multiple points.
#WATCH | Lucknow | Members of Bajrang Dal protest after a few students of Lucknow University offered 'namaz' at Lal Baradari mosque on the university premises pic.twitter.com/MBjHrqiyeB
— ANI (@ANI) February 24, 2026
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Delhi: Father, son held for killing 19-year-old woman in suspected honour killing
New Delhi (PTI): The Delhi Police has arrested a man and his son for allegedly murdering his 19-year-old daughter in west Delhi's Hari Nagar area, an official said on Friday.
The case first came to light on April 1 after a PCR call was received around 2 pm, alleging that a woman had been killed by her family members and her body was being taken for last rites, he said.
The accused, identified as Mohammad Maneer (55), a vegetable vendor, and his son Meraj Ali (19), were arrested in connection with the case, the officer said.
The victim had been in a relationship with a man from her native place for the past two years, which was opposed by her father, Maneer and brother Meraj, he said.
"When the girl did not end the relationship despite objections, the family killed her," the officer said.
On April 1, the police said that when their team reached the spot, they found that the woman's body was being taken for burial.
Acting on the input, the burial process was stopped over suspicion of honour killing.
"Police intercepted the family members and took possession of the body," he said.
Police said that the man who had made the PCR told them that the woman was in love with his cousin.
During the inquiry, police also interacted with the PCR caller, who said his cousin, a friend of the deceased, had informed him about the situation and suspected foul play, prompting him to alert the police control room.
The body of the woman was subsequently shifted to the mortuary of Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital for preservation and postmortem.
Police said that both the crime team and the forensic science laboratory (FSL) team were called to inspect the scene and collect evidence.
Police said that, as per the postmortem report, the cause of death was identified as smothering, indicating that the woman was suffocated.
A preliminary inquiry also revealed that the family had initiated preparations for the last rites soon after the woman's death, raising suspicion about the circumstances.
Initial investigation pointed to the family's opposition to the woman's relationship.
"The family members of the woman saw her with the man, and she was taken back home. We got to know that she was beaten up and even locked inside the house for some days," a source said.
Further investigation into the matter is underway, police added.
