Save lovebirds from culture vultures: PC to K’taka CM

NEW DELHI: Coming to the rescue of couples wanting to come out to profess their love on Valentine���s Day in Karnataka, Union home minister P Chidambaram on Thursday asked the state government to take preventive and punitive action against all individuals and outfits attempting to disrupt the February 14 celebrations.

In a letter to Karnataka chief minister B S Yeddyurappa, Mr Chidambaram drew his attention to threats of statewide protests on Valentine���s Day by lunatic fringe outfits like Rashtriya Hindu Sena and Sri Rama Sene in the name of ���safeguarding morality.���

Statements of leaders of these parties are a threat to law and order, the home minister noted adding that he hoped that the state government would take ���preventive and punitive��� action to ensure that no organisation assumed the role of ���self-styled arbitrator��� of morals and morality.

The Centre hopes that such organisations will not get involved in acts that are illegal and disruptive of peace, law and order, Mr Chidambaram said in his letter to Mr Yeddyurappa.

The home minister told the Karnataka government that it was ready to send additional help, if required, in the form of Central para-military forces to keep vigil at spots likely to be frequented by couples on Valentine���s Day.

Sri Rama Sene activists and a few fringe saffron outfits have threatened to disrupt Valentine���s Day celebrations contending that the festivities are ���alien��� to Indian culture.

Only recently, a similar campaign by these outfits had seen women being driven out of a pub in Mangalore and being molested for ���acting against the Indian culture.��� The incident sparked a nationwide furore, leading to separate probes by the department of women and child welfare as well as the NCW.