The office-bearers of Bajrang Dal have claimed they have met Telangana DGP M Mahendar Reddy and appealed to him to stop Valentine’s Day celebrations. (File photo) The office-bearers of Bajrang Dal have claimed they have met Telangana DGP M Mahendar Reddy and appealed to him to stop Valentine’s Day celebrations. (File photo)

Unmarried couples “found wandering around on Valentine’s Day” in Hyderabad and across Telangana will be given lessons on patriotism and sacrificing for the country, the state unit of Bajrang Dal has said.

“On this day last year, 45 of our brave soldiers were killed in a Pakistani-sponsored terrorist attack in Pulwama, J&K. How can we forget that cowardly act of our enemy and celebrate love?” said P Balaswamy, publicity convenor, VHP, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

Balaswamy further said: “If we find lovers spending time at parks, malls, clubs, pubs, restaurants and other places this year, we won’t get them married [something the body has done in the past]. We will counsel them on love for our nation and ask them to pay tributes to our brave martyrs.”

According to Balaswamy, the sacrifices of the soldiers will be a “source of inspiration and bring a sense of patriotism”. “As many as 500 of our volunteers will be on the streets of Hyderabad on Friday. This is a state-wide programme, thousands of our volunteers are ready,” he added.

On February 12, the VHP and Bajrang Dal activists in Hyderabad took out a rally near Koti and set over 200 Valentine’s Day greeting cards on fire.

The office-bearers of Bajrang Dal have claimed they have met Telangana DGP M Mahendar Reddy and appealed to him to stop Valentine’s Day celebrations in Hyderabad. They have also warned pubs and hotel managements to not allow any celebrations, members said.

The Bajrang Dal has decided to mark the day as “Veer Jawan Diwas”. They have identified over two dozen locations in the city where tributes will be paid to the soldiers slain in the Pulwama attack.

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