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
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
EC-TMC meet ends on bitter note; CEC asks TMC delegation to 'get lost', MP accused of 'shouting'
_vb_41.jpeg)
New Delhi (PTI): The meeting between a Trinamool Congress delegation and the full bench of the Election Commission on Wednesday culminated on an acrimonious note, with the TMC saying the panel's chief asked them to "get lost" at the end of the seven-minute meeting, while the EC accused them of "shouting".
After the meeting, TMC's Rajya Sabha MP Derek O'Brien told mediapersons that they handed over letters from West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, and also apprised him of specific instances of poll officials having links with the BJP.
"Then he said, 'Get lost'. We have done eight to nine meetings with the Election Commission. Apart from the CEC, none of the other election commissioners spoke," O'Brien said.
"While we were walking out, one of my colleagues congratulated Gyanesh Kumar for being the only CEC to have notices moved in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha for his removal," O'Brien MP said.
Meanwhile, sources in the Election Commission said the poll panel chief gave a "straight talk" to TMC leaders.
They accused O'Brien of shouting at the election commissioners and alleged that he asked the CEC not to speak.
The EC sources further said the elections in West Bengal would be "fear-free, violence-free, intimidation-free, and inducement-free."
_vb_97.jpeg)
