The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Euphoria missing on Valentine’s Day

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Sunday, Feb 15, 2009
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Euphoria missing on Valentine’s Day

Staff Reporter

Threat of right wing and student organisations casts shadow on celebrations in the Capital

PHOTO : P. V. SIVAKUMAR

Media frenzy: A boy runs and a girl is hesitant to head towards the Jalavihar entrance on Necklace Road in Hyderabad on Saturday, as they are ‘accosted’ by a TV channel crew for a byte. —

HYDERABAD: The threat of right wing organisations and student associations to disrupt Valentine’s Day celebrations had a clear impact in the city on Saturday, despite the police keeping a tight vigil.

The usual euphoria associated with the Valentine’s Day was not found in the State Capital, with activists of the Bajarang Dal, Akhila Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, Hindu Vahini and Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha going around public places threatening to marry off lovers and burning effigies of Valentine.

Police took into preventive custody nearly 200 activists of these organisations at Saroorangar, L.B. Nagar, Madhapur, Gandipet lake, Koti and Sultanbazar. However, no untoward incident was reported in any part of the city. Protesters burning effigy at Koti were taken into custody by the Sultanbazar police. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad performed marriage of a couple that approached it at the Arya Samaj in Koti.

Youth arrested

Police rushed to Saroornagar tank bund and took into custody groups of ABVP workers carrying saffron flags and raising slogans to scare away some couples. Similar attempts by the ABVP workers were thwarted by the police at L.B. Nagar also.

Narsingi Inspector Ravi Chandan Reddy said a group of 21 youths led by Goraskhsa Samithi city president, Vinayak Raj, tried to threaten couples at Gandipet lake park.

All of them were picked up and sent to the police station before they could disturb law and order situation there.

Not many special programmes were organised marking the Valentine’s Day at hotels. As a precautionary measure, police posted pickets at all public parks and places following threats of the Bajarangdal to marry off lovers moving there. At many places, police arrested them within minutes of their arrival.

Gifts stores, roadside flower stalls, sweet shops, hotels and food-joints did not make the usual brisk business. The otherwise bustling Necklace road wore a deserted look.

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