Although the ‘students in love’ were bundled into waiting police vans before they could turn up at the Hindu Mahasabha’s office to get married, flowers and promises were exchanged inside the premises of a police station on Valentine’s Day.
Reacting to the Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha’s statement warning lovers not to hold hands on Valentine’s Day in any public place or be ready to be forcefully married off, several student and anonymous groups had planned to visit their office on Saturday.
However, the path to the Hindu Mahasabha was cordoned off. The “protesters”, who were holding placards with messages like “Fall in Love, not in Line,” were allowed to shout slogans for a while before they were taken away in police vans and detained in three separate police stations.
“We had come ready with garlands and flowers. Several lovers declared their love and said they were married for form’s sake. The police detained us for over four hours and not even given ,” said Lenin Kumar, a participant.
“There were songs, dance and a sangeet session. The feast, of course, was missing as the police refused to provide food to the people detained,” said Ishan Anand, secretary of the DemSocratic Students Federation, one of the organisations which had participated in the event : “Love in the time of Hindutva.”
