New Delhi (PTI) :Lovers across the country celebrated Valentine's Day today and expressed their feelings for their dear ones with cards, flowers, jewellery and chocolates, defying protests in several places by saffron and radical groups who dubbed the occasion as "alien culture".

Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray, who has been leading the moral brigade in attacking Valentine's Day celebrations in Maharashtra, termed the occasion as "a rotten imported culture thriving on the neo-rich with easy money to squander" and asked his 'sainiks' to oppose the celebrations which are "encouraged by commercial considerations".

There were protests by the Sena, Bajrang Dal, Akhil Bhartiya Maratha Mahasangh and Students Islamic Organisation, among others, in Kolkata, Delhi, Indore, Mumbai and Coimbatore. The radical women's group Dukhtaran-e-Millat conducted "peaceful raids" in Srinagar's restaurants and shops and asked lovers to leave those places.

Nearly 44 saffron activists were arrested by police in Indore for staging protests against the celebration of Valentine's Day. However, despite all the opposition, lovers were undeterred.

Most educational institutions, parks, malls and restaurants played cupid to dreamy-eyed pairs as they took the opportunity to express their feelings.

Shops and restaurants also tried to lure in the lovers by offering special schemes while television and radio channels played love songs and special programmes throughout the day to mark the occasion.