Mathura (UP), Nov 4 (IANS): Uttar Pradesh Minister Chaudhary Laxmi Narayan, who belongs to Mathura, has said that holding 'namaaz' or Muslim prayers inside a temple here was "orchestrated to create tension in the state".

"The temple authorities do not know Faisal Khan. Such an incident has never taken place. I smell some sort of propaganda in the whole matter. A Muslim man even told them that this is no place to offer 'namaaz' but they wanted to show that they are strong enough to enter the Nand Baba's temple and do it. This is all being done to vitiate the atmosphere."

Faisal Khan was arrested on November 2 from Delhi for performing 'namaaz' at the temple on October 29. He had also allegedly participated in protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act in Shaheen Bagh and other places in Delhi earlier this year.

He is the founder of 'Khudai Khidmatgar', a Delhi-based organisation.

The Minister claimed that such elements wanted to "disturb" Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who is a strong follower of 'Sanatan Dharma'.

"But the Chief Minister's grip on law and order in Uttar Pradesh is so firm that such conspiracies will never succeed," he said.