Lucknow University issues notices to 13 students for offering Namaz at Lal Baradari, Rs 50,000 bond ordered

Feb 24, 2026

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], February 24 : Thirteen students at Lucknow University have been told by the Executive Magistrate to furnish a personal bond of Rs 50,000 along with two sureties of Rs 50,000 each to ensure maintenance of law and order for one year following reports of unauthorised religious activities at the historic Lal Baradari structure.
This comes after the students held prayers outside a historic building called Lal Baradari because the gates were locked.
The order, issued based on the challan report of the Hasanganj police station, states that these actions created a tense situation on the university campus, and the possibility of a future disturbance of public peace cannot be ruled out. On this basis, the Executive Magistrate has directed all 13 students to submit a personal bond of Rs 50,000 and two sureties of Rs 50,000 each as a guarantee of maintaining peace and law and order for one year.
Shubham Kharwar, a student of Lucknow University, while speaking to ANI, said, "Some Muslims students offered Namaz outside Lal Baradari as they were not allowed to offer Namaz inside the Lal Baradari. Notices were issued to students regarding this. We will hold a protest against the closure of the gates of Lal Baradari..."
Another student of Lucknow University, Ahmad Raza, said, "In the notice that has been issued to us, it is mentioned that the prayer we offered and the Iftar we organised have disrupted the peace. Some people became violent. We're not defending that, but everyone knows that students can sometimes become violent."
He further said, "The biggest reason they've suffered a major disruption is that Muslims offered prayers and Hindus protected them. 13 people, including Hindus and Muslims, have been served notices for disturbing the peace, even though there was no such breach.
"We did not raise any objectionable slogans. We did not raise any slogans that would disturb the peace. On the contrary, when the BJP people were standing there, they tried to disturb the peace by raising religious slogans; they raised objectionable slogans, but no notice has been issued against them," Ahmad Raza added, while speaking to ANI.
On the other hand, members of Bajrang Dal protested and were seen raising religious slogans like "Jai Shree Ram" after a few students of Lucknow University offered 'namaz' at Lal Baradari mosque on the university premises. Members of Bajrang Dal also demanded strict action against students who allegedly bypassed official restrictions to conduct religious prayers at the site.