Lucknow couples bear Shiv Sena brunt

Lovers 8216;hoodwink8217; activists and policemen

BHOPAL: Lovers gave Valentine8217;s Day a miss in the state capital on Wednesday, leaving thousands of policemen to keep a thankless vigil at parks, picnic spots and haunts frequented by couples. There was so much hype surrounding the opposition by Hindutva activists and the support extended by several organisations to lovers that a heavy security blanket was thrown in by the administration to avoid possible clashes.

More than 400 cops were posted at possible meeting points since morning. The administration served a notice on Shiv Sena, Bajrang Hammal, a splinter group of Bajrang Dal, National Students Union of India, Nationalist Congress Party and Savarna Samaj Party among others asking them to appear before an executive magistrate and give an undertaking that they would ensure prevalence of peace. Bhopal SP A K Singh said none of the parties came forward to sign the bond. He said nine activists of Shiv Sena and Bajrang Hammal were taken into custody because they had threatened to take law into their own hands.

Sainiks shoo away lovers in Jaipur

Jaipur: Despite the police restricting their movements at most places today, Shiv Sainiks managed to hold protests, burn cards and V-Day gifts, apart from shooing away young couples from public places.

Shiv Sena and Sanskriti Bachao Samiti had announced earlier that they would be on the roads and ensure that there is 8216;no public display of love8217; on Wednesday. Their threats seemed to have done half the job as the police confirmed that only a handful of couples visited the parks and gardens on Wednesday.

When the police shut the gates of Central Park, located right in the city, to restrict their entry, several of them jumped the fences and shooed away about 20-odd couples who were present in the park.

Meanwhile, SFI activists went around the city to ensure that young couples were not harassed by the Shiv Sainiks. 8220;It8217;s a democratic right of a person to decide what he wants to celebrate. Our presence at certain parks made it possible for the couples to spend some time together,8221; state SFI leader Sanjay Madhav said.

Women8217;s group burns V-Day cards in Srinagar

SRINAGAR: Radical women8217;s group, Dukhtaran-e-Millat, and some other organisations on Wednesday burnt Valentine8217;s Day cards and gifts here, saying the celebrations had no place in Kashmiri society. Under the banner of Forum Against Social Evils, they raided shops on Residency Road and set afire greeting cards and gifts.

Dukhtaran chief Aasiya Andrabi and FACE activists also went to some restaurants to look for couples who might be celebrating the western festival of love. 8220;There is no place for Valentine8217;s Day celebrations in Islamic society or Kashmiri culture as such events lead to immorality in the society,8221; Andrabi said.

Pet salon makes it a special day for dogs too

MUMBAI: As youths across the world prepared to spend lots of money to impress their loved ones, Taliwaggers, a pet salon in Bandra, took the opportunity to make dogs feel good about themselves 8212; free of cost. 8220;We decided to make the doggies feel good. So for just this day, we are giving free aroma therapy sessions for any dog brought to our saloon along with a companion,8221; said Urmila Dabholkar, who runs Tailwaggers.