Valentine’s Day becomes vigilante’s day?

Valentine’s Day becomes vigilante’s day?
Vishwa Hindu Parishad activists take to moral policing, manhandle youths
Rajay Deep
Tribune News Service

Bathinda, February 14
Despite the tall claims of the Bathinda police of providing a peaceful atmosphere to those celebrating the Valentines’ Day in the city, activists of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) today indulged in hooliganism and manhandled couples celebrating the day.
Calling themselves “guards of Hindu ethics”, the VHP activists slapped boys sitting with girls in parks. The activists did not pay heed to the explanation given by the couples, and forced them to apologise in public.
Leading a group, including activists of ABVP and Bajrang Dal, VHP secretary Sukhpal Sran today pounced upon some couples sitting in the Rose Garden. According to information available, they snatched the cards from the hands of lovebirds and tore it off. Further, they forced the boys to do sit-ups. If a boy objected, he was slapped tight in the face.
When the couples stated that they were just sitting in the park and were not doing anything objectionable, Sukhpal asked girls to give the contact number of their parents so that their marriages could be arranged with the boys they were sitting along.
An advocate from Chandigarh, Babu Ram, was also victimised when he was sitting in the park with his girlfriend. Not knowing about his profession, the activists started thrashing him and asked him to tender an apology.
On reaching the spot, TNS observed that people were trying to get police help but hardly any cop was standing nearby. Meanwhile, some girls accused the group of hurling abuses and misbehaving with them.
However, after some minutes, some cops reached the spot and asked the VHP and ABVP activists to check their behaviour, otherwise, they would be booked. As the cops were listening to the grievances of couples, the activists fled the spot.
SHO Kotwali GS Romana said, “We had rounded up the hooligans but the complainants withdrew their complaints and we released them after a warning.”
VHP secretary Sukhpal said over the phone, “We did not misbehave with any girl but asked them to give their parents’ contact numbers so that they could be married to the boys with whom they were celebrating the Valentine’s Day.”
“We urge people to support us in this cause as the Valentines’ Day is a product of western culture, which is spoiling our youth and invading our culture,” he added.