Vitriol & Valentine

SRINAGAR: For once, it was not bullets but Cupid’s arrows that had struck the Valley’s youth on Saturday. Even owners of cake shop...

SRINAGAR: For once, it was not bullets but Cupid’s arrows that had struck the Valley’s youth on Saturday. Even owners of cake shops and greetings card outlets were pleasantly surprised. ‘‘Till afternoon, around 40 to 50 couples have come here,’’ said Robin Singh, the manager of Hot Breads on Residency Road. ‘‘I have not known this in Kashmir. I was surprised to see the rush of customers,’’ he added.‘‘People here frown on open demonstration of love. But today, we brushed aside these fears and hosted a party,’’ said Sameena, a reveller.

AHMEDABAD: A popular multiplex in the satellite area of the city was allegedly attacked by VHP workers late on Friday night. Police sources said the mob broke the glass panel and shouted slogans when Valentine’s Day celebrations were on inside the multiplex. No serious injuries have been reported.

LUCKNOW: Shiv Sainiks burnt down posters and cards in front of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly and raided several parks and restaurants.

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They caught several couples in parks and forced them to do push-ups and chided them for following Western culture, party sources said. Sena state unit chief Vijay Tiwari said the party will make those couples, found celebrating day, tie the nuptial knot.

BHOPAL: Activists from Bajrang Dal and Shiv Sena held rallies and demonstrations in front of hotels, eateries and gift shops here even as police was deployed to prevent any untoward incident. Popular market places like New Market, Habibganj area and Maharana Pratap Nagar became the main target of anti-Valentine activists.

CHENNAI: Even as hardliners patrolled the cities to ‘‘enforce’’ Indian culture, reports from Tamil Nadu spoke of youths celebrating Valentine’s Day in remote villages. In Kannappan Moolai, most of the youth, who are school dropouts, put up hand written posters on the walls extolling the virtues of love.

PUNE: Sena cadre on bikes with party flags aflutter gave vent to their ire by ransacking florists’ shops. Sena corporator Ajay Bhosle was among the 28 arrested by the Bund Garden police for vandalism.