Hyderabad, February 09: Cup id-struck youngsters, beware! Valentine’s Day is round the corner and so are the moral police `gearing up’ to disrupt the celebrations on Feb 14.
Activists of the saffron brigade, led by the Viswa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal, are all set to play spoilsport on the V-Day. The right-wing activists would perform marriages of lovers caught in parks and public places on that day. They have also warned the managements of pubs, bars and restaurants not to organise any events promoting Valentine’s Day.
“We will not hesitate to attack pubs, restaurants and bars which organise events as part of Valentine’s Day celebrations. It is against our culture and ethos,” said VHP city president M Rama Raju.
With the slogan ‘Ban Valentine’s Day – Save Bharat Culture’, the VHP and Bajrang Dal are planning to launch a campaign against V-Day. A poster was released in this connection on Monday. “Love is not a oneday affair and if somebody is really in love, we will perform their marriage,” the right-wing leaders said.
Speaking to reporters, Rama Raju wanted the State Government to consider banning celebrations on February 14 as it was ‘against the culture’ and would impact Indian traditions and its philosophy.
Rama Raju appealed to all gift shop owners, restaurants, hotels and florists in the city to shut business on V-Day.
Valentine’s Day has become increasingly popular in India in recent years, led by retailers selling red balloons, velvet pillows and teddy bears to mark the festival. Hardliners term the celebrations as a symbol of ‘cultural corruption’ but that has not dampened the enthusiasm of youngsters who throng the stores to buy gifts and cards on V-Day.
Bajrang Dal Co-Convener G Ramesh said that hotels and restaurants would only sow seeds of ‘perversion’ in the minds of youth by holding Valentine’s Day programmes.
The government and police should prevent such functions, he said adding that Bajrang Dal activists would besiege all the venues where such programmes were held and stage protest demonstrations.
It is learnt that the right-wing groups are planning to go to various colleges asking students to refrain from celebrating V-Day.
Last year too, activists of the saffron brigade moved around popular joints visited by love birds and tried to force them to wed. The activists moved in a vehicle with all the material required to perform a wedding and even made some couples tie the knot.
—-Agencies