Bajrang Dal prachar pramukh Hebbar Nageswar Rao announcing their opposition to Valentine’s Day at a get-together of youth in Hyderabad on Sunday
The Greater Hyderabad committee of Bajrang Dal has demanded an immediate official ban on Valentine’s Day and other such celebrations in the country.
Speaking at a press conference here held on the sidelines of an awareness session held for youth to dispel the myths surrounding Valentine’s Day here on Sunday, Dal’s prachar pramukh Bharat Vamsi said, “In the past two years, the United States, United Kingdom and Germany have officially banned these celebrations. India should also therefore officially ban them, and take steps to promote Indian culture.”
With the clock ticking for this year’s Valentine’s Day on February 14, giving an adrenaline rush to young couples in the city who hope to make the day memorable, Bajrang Dal activists have other thoughts for the occasion _ to deter youngsters from observing the day. The activists will be reaching out to colleges to make students aware of ‘misconceptions’ about so called lover’s day. Going a step further, parents of such youngsters would be invited and marriages performed in their presence, Vamsi said, adding, “Earlier, we were just informing the couples’ parents about their marriage over phone. This time around we would invite their parents to our office and perform marriage in their presence.”
The committee appealed to hotel and pub managements across the city not to lure youth with special Valentine’s Day offers. “Valentine’s Day in the country has gained popularity only because of the multi-national companies that want to capitalise on western festivals like these. We should abstain from celebrating such corporate-sponsored festivals,” he said.
“ One actually fails to understand the truth behind the Valentine’s Day. In fact, priest Valentine was hanged by the Roman government on this very day because of his illicit relationship with a woman. But, instead of despising this, we are glorifying it. It is utter disgrace to our country to celebrate such things,” he lamented.