West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday, February 14, offered Valentine’s Day wishes at a time when Hindutva groups have been attempting to disrupt celebrations associated with the occasion.
In her message, the Chief Minister began with a poem in Bengali, which read, “Long live love. Love endures, thrives, and continues for a long time.”
“Valentine’s Day is a celebration of love in all its forms and manifestations, in its widest and noblest sense; love that transcends caste, creed, class, and religion,” Banerjee wrote in a post on X.
Ahead of Valentine’s Day, there have been multiple cases of disruption reported across the country, where Hindutva groups allegedly attacked people and forced the cancellation of events.
On Thursday, February 13, Bajrang Dal workers allegedly vandalised property after claiming an obscene programme linked to Valentine’s Day was being organised on the campus of Indore’s Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies. The university management denied the allegations and asserted that an “unauthorised group” damaged infrastructure and disrupted a student-led event aimed at developing professional skills.
In another incident, a group of men associated with Hindu Jagrati in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad, armed with sticks and batons, warned the residents of the city that their team was ready to inspect all parks to check if all Hindu women and girls had not fallen in the trap of “jihadis.” They further urged everyone to remember the Pulwama attack martyrs and light a lamp on February 14 instead of celebrating the day of love.
Separately, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Surendar Gupta said that every year “some people go against their values and celebrate Valentine’s Day,” adding what he opposes is the “love jihad” that takes place around that time. He issued a warning to Hindu parents to keep their sisters and daughters safe on February 14, as there are men who will trap them.
A Hindutva fringe group, Hindu Mahila Morcha, also declared that if they found anyone participating in Valentine’s Day celebrations, “hum uska wahi lathi se ilaaj kardinge aur ganja Karke sheher me ghumadinge (We will deal with them right there with sticks, shave their head and parade them around the city).”
While the above incidents took place before Valentine’s Day itself, more incidents were reported on February 14. In Bihar’s capital, right-wing workers from the Hindu Shiv Bhawani staged a protest and forced couples on the streets and in parks to forcibly read the Hanuman Chalisa.
Police in Madhya Pradesh were deployed outside a park in Bhopal to prevent an escalation as members of the International Hindu Council and the Bajrang Dal warned citizens against Valentine’s Day celebrations. Sub-inspector Shivendra Pathak said that, considering the occasion, police were deployed from 9 am at parks, spas, malls and other public places. “Hindu organisations are present in the parks, but if any complaint is made by a couple, legal action will be taken against the concerned individuals in accordance with the law, ” said SI Pathak.
A young couple in Bihar were allegedly forced to marry after being “caught” meeting on Valentine’s Day. The practice, locally referred to as Pakdawa Vyah, is among several incidents reported during the day, which has seen strong backlash from Hindutva groups opposing Valentine’s Day celebrations.
While Banerjee has on earlier occasions extended greetings on various festivals and events, a Valentine’s Day message is being seen in political circles as an apparent outreach to younger voters, in contrast to the Hindutva attacks ahead of the state assembly polls.
“It is this spirit of love that has guided my journey in public service. A love for the people strong enough to withstand storms, patient enough to listen, and bold enough to fight for justice and dignity,” Banerjee said. In an earlier post, she had also paid tribute to the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawans who were killed in the 2019 Pulwama attack.
This post was last modified on February 14, 2026 6:20 pm