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Sena spoils another Valentine's Day party

Our Correspondent in Bombay

The Shiv Sena, which has called for a ban on Valentine's Day celebrations, Tuesday damaged a discotheque in suburban Bombay which had widely advertised its plans for February 14.

A group of Shiv Sainiks pulled down all decorations put up by Madness, a popular discotheque at Khar, on Tuesday afternoon.

No policemen were present at the site and no one was arrested despite the fact that the Sena has warned of violence against pubs and discotheques organising Valentine's Day bashes.

Atul Sarpotdar, chief coordinator of the Bhartiya Vidyarthi Sena, student wing of the Sena, who is leading the protests in Bombay, later told newspersons: "We will not tolerate such cultural invasion of our country. Why don't Americans celebrateRakshabandhan?" he asked.

When asked why his party did not oppose such celebrations when it was in power, Sarpotdar said: "When we were in power, these celebrations were low key. Now, however, the whole thing has become commercialised and very, very loud."

Jitendra Jhanawle, a BVS vibhag pramukh who led the attack on Madness, said: "Madness had constructed a huge gate at their entrance. We demolished that completely. And we have given a warning to all discotheques and pubs in Bombay to suspend such celebrations."

BVS leaders Tuesday also visited several colleges in Bombay and requested the heads of these institutions to not encourage Valentine's Day celebrations on campuses.

"You tell me, who was Valentine?" Sarpotdar asked. "Was he an Indian? Did he do something for our country? Why then we must celebrate this day?

"The MNCs are capturing our markets by sponsoring such celebrations and there is nobody to stop them. So, as our chief has directed. We are stopping their evil designs," Sarpotdar added.

Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray, in an editorial in party newspaper Saamna, had said that it was not appropriate for Indians to celebrate Valentine's day as it was just a ploy of multinational companies to capture Indian market.

But wasn't Shiv sena instrumental in bringing pop icon Michael Jackson to Bombay. The Sena chief, in fact, attended his show?

"You see there is a difference. The event was not organised by the Sena, but by Wizcraft. And also it was an attempt to raise money for the party's employment scheme. We supported the show because it was for a good cause," Sarpotdar said.

ALSO SEE:
Thackeray calls for ban on Valentine's Day

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