Shiv Sena protests Valentine's day celebrations

Shiv Sena activists Thursday marked their protest against celebration of Valentine's Day across the country by burning greeting cards in New Delhi. Delhi unit chief of the Sena Jai Bhagwan Goyal and his supporters burnt Valentine cards at Jantar Mantar in the heart of the capital protesting against celebration of "vulgar western festivals."

"Our misguided youth are now acting as agents of western civilisation. When we have festivals like Holi and Diwali, what is the need to import such ashleel (vulgar) western festivals?" he asked.

He claimed that multinational companies are merely promoting their products by encouraging Indian youth to celebrate such occasions. In a memorandum to Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil, copies of which were distributed to the media, he demanded a ban on all programmes being organised on Valentine's Day.