By IANS,
Bangalore: Karnataka’s Bharatiya Janata Party government Friday warned opponents of Valentine’s Day celebrations against creating trouble Feb 14 and said those who take law into their hand will face strict action.
At the same time, it cautioned people planning to celebrate the day not to cross the limits.
“Those celebrating Valentine’s Day should not cross the limits,” Home Minister V.S. Acharya said after meeting senior police officials on the arrangements for maintaining law and order Feb 14 in view of threats by a pro-Hindu outfit to disrupt the celebrations.
“This applies to moral policing also,” Acharya told reporters.
The home minister met the senior police officials a day after a group of youth blackened the face of Sri Rama Sene (army of Lord Ram) chief Pramod Mutalik for his threats to marry off people celebrating Valentine’s Day.
The youth are said to belong to Congress.
Acharya criticized the incident which took place late Thursday when Mutalik was participating in a discussion organised by a Kannada TV channel in an open air theatre near Town Hall in city centre.
“I condemn such attacks. Congress should restrain its workers,” the minister said.
The state Congress president R.V. Deshpande, however, denied his party men were involved in the incident.
He told reporters that Mutalik should be arrested immediately as his outfit’s plans would create law and order problem.
Bangalore Police Commissioner Shankar Bidari said his force was ready to maintain peace and “those wishing to celebrate Valentine’s day were free to do so.”
“If anyone tries to prevent, people can complain to the nearest police station,” he told reporters.
Bidari too warned of stringent action against those taking law into their hands.