With just one day left to celebrate Saint Valentine's Day, there have been numerous protests from radical groups from across the country.
Earlier this month, Hindutva outfits active in western UP have warned that couples found celebrating the "foreign festival" in public will face a variety of punishments: A Hindu Maha Sabha member has said the couples who claim to be in love will have to get married while inter-faith partners will have to sit through a "shuddhikaran" (purification) ritual.
In another move, district officials in Satara district of Maharashtra have directed all educational institutions to celebrate the upcoming Valentine's Day as Mother's Day and sing poems dedicated to their mothers. The circular has kicked up a huge row.
The students will have to recite a well-known poem dedicated to mothers "Hambrun Vasar Aale Chaat-ti Jawa Gai..."
They were further instructed to immortalize the new style of V-Day celebrations by clicking photographs and submitting them to the district education Officer.
In another event, Bajrang Dal today burnt greeting cards of the upcoming Valentine's Day at Koti in the city saying the event was not part of the Indian culture.
A group of over 20 members assembled near Koti cross roads said they will hold protests across the city against the celebrations of Valentine's Day on February 14.
Shiva Ramulu city secretary, VHP and Bajrang Dal said, their teams would visit parks, resorts and pubs on Saturday and if they find unmarried young men and women celebrating the event they will catch hold of them and counsel them.
"We will counsel them (such couples) and after consultation with their parents, we will perform their marriage," Ramulu said.
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