“Jahan Dikhenge Babu-Shona, Tod Diya jayega Sharir ka kona kona” (Translation: Wherever we see Babu Shona, we will break every corner of their bodies)
Every year on Valentine’s Day, Bajrang Dal activists hit the streets with slogans such as the above targeting couples. This year was no exception. Across several north Indian states, Hindutva activists donned saffron scarves and carried lathis (sticks), preparing to confront what they saw as an imported Western concept. In some places, lath pujan was performed, where they worshipped the sticks to be used in the presence of priests, however bizarre that might sound. Threats and warnings were issued against couples who would be seen in public on February 14.
Zee UK UP reported on the Bajrang Dal’s vigilance on Valentine’s Day. One of the leaders gave a byte to the outlet, saying that they opposed the concept of Valentine’s Day because of the obscenity that Western culture had imposed on Indian societies. They would continue their vigilance at religious places, hotels and parks, he announced. The report also mentioned similar incidents in Raipur and Bhopal.
In Raipur, Chhattisgarh, Bajrang Dal workers went around parks and harassed couples, asking about their whereabouts and then distributing Hanuman Chalisa booklets. In Bhopal, Bajrang Dal workers, armed with lathis, carried out similar antics while chanting Jai Sri Ram.
Keeping Couples at Bay with Blessed Batons
In Uttar Pradesh, Kranti Sena members performed lath pujan, a ritual where a lathi or stick is worshipped, while chanting slogans targeting couples on Valentine’s Day. They were seen giving teekas on the lathis. A Bajrang Dal leader assured his compatriots on camera that hotel and restaurant owners had said that if couples were found at those places on February 14, they would be “treated”, their heads would be shaved off they would be paraded across the city.
In Sagar, Madhya Pradesh, Shiv Sena workers ran a campaign against the occasion by performing a lath pujan (ritual worship of sticks) and issued stern warnings to couples. In the presence of priests, the sticks were ceremonially anointed with jasmine and mustard oil amid Vedic chants. The ritual was referred to as dand pujan (worship of batons).
During the protest, demonstrators carried posters reading, “Love Jihadi Valentine’s Day, Murdabad”
In Bhopal, members of the Antarrashtriya Hindu Parishad (AHP) and Rashtriya Bajrang Dal, led by leader Rakesh Prajapati, conducted a “dand pujan” (stick worship) ceremony to protest against Valentine’s Day, alleging the the obscene occasion violated Indian culture. Prajapati announced that 12 teams would patrol across Bhopal on February 14 to track down couples. He threatened that if couples were found, they would be beaten up, their heads shaved and they would be publicly paraded them on a donkey. Participants raised slogans in Hindi which can be roughly translated as, “Wherever we find ‘babu’ and ‘shona,’ we will break them,” “Wherever we find Bunty-Babli, we will break their bones,” and “Down with Valentine’s Day.”
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Threats, Protests and Hanuman Chalisa: A Set Pattern
In Indore, Vishva Hindu Parishad-Bajrang Dal members raided the premises of NIMS College in the Gandhi Nagar area on February 12. They protested against a Valentine’s Day programme, alleging that the event was against Indian culture. They vandalised the place and recited the Hanuman Chalisa.
According to an IANS report, Gandhi Nagar police station in-charge Anil Yadav said that the college had drawn protests from Right-wing groups before, as the college frequently organised cultural programmes in contemporary formats. According to DCP Krishna Lalchandani, police arrived within ten minutes of receiving information of the altercation taking place at the college. “… CCTV footage and videos of the incident were being examined, and appropriate legal action would follow,” Lalchandani told IANS.
The footage of the incident showed around 50 men carrying sticks entering the campus; some of them were seen arguing with faculty members and police personnel.
One Tannu Sharma, member of a Right-wing group, reportedly said they opposed the celebration on cultural grounds. They had asked the organisers to stop the event, but they had not agreed, so the group “staged a protest”.
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In Patna, a fringe group called Hindu Shiv Bhawani Sena demonstrated on the streets against Valentine’s Day. However, the police reportedly stepped in and stopped them. “We oppose the forceful conversion and Love Jihad in the name of Valentine’s Day. We are not against love,” said the leader of the protesters, Luv Kumar Singh. In the same vein, Maulana Shahbuddin also released a statement saying that celebrating Valentine’s Day was “against Islam”.
Singh and his team also stopped and harassed a couple in public, handed them copies of the Hanuman Chalisa, and protested Valentine’s Day celebrations, alleging that the occasion spread obscenity and “corrupted the society.” Singh declared the event was “against Indian culture” and further warned that his team would patrol parks and public spaces to monitor couples and distribute copies of the Hanuman Chalisa.
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In Nagpur, VHP–Bajrang Dal members organised a rally protesting against Valentine’s Day celebrations. They chanted slogans saying, “Jahan Dikhenge Banti-Babli, Tod Denge Haddi Pasli” (Wherever we see Banti and Babli, we will break every bone in their body). The workers burned merchandise like greeting cards and soft toys and recited the Hanuman Chalisa during the demonstration. The group carried a banner which said “Celebrating Valentine’s is strictly prohibited” in Hindi.
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In Chandausi, Uttar Pradesh, Bajrang Dal workers held a large protest rally against the celebration of Valentine’s Day, carrying placards in Hindi reading, “Opposing Valentine’s Day to protect Indian culture.” According to a report shared on the Bajrang Dal Chandausi Facebook page, members also visited and checked several restaurants and hotels, where the group’s city coordinator, Dinesh Kushwaha, reportedly lectured young people about Valentine’s Day.
In Dewas, Madhya Pradesh, Hindutva workers carrying lathis also issued similar threats, claiming their members had been stationed at multiple locations across the city. “If any obscenity occurs in any garden, our workers will inform us…,” one of them said. The worker further asserted that Hindus should not celebrate Valentine’s Day and should instead engage in religious activities.
In Samastipur, a delegation of Bajrang Dal workers submitted a memorandum with the district magistrate and the SP listing their demands for February 14. Stating that the occasion gives rise to several cases of ‘public indecency’, including at parks, gardens, malls, hotels, restaurants, areas around educational institutions, and crowded intersections, the memorandum demanded that the district administration strictly curb such activities. The workers stated that the organisation had urged the Samastipur administration to take legal action against any such act and deploy special police teams to prevent any untoward incident.
प्रेस विज्ञप्ति
बजरंग दल समस्तीपुर के द्वारा जिला संयोजक नीतीश कुमार की नेतृत्व में बजरंग दल के एक प्रतिनिधि मंडल ने…Posted by Nitish Sah on Thursday 12 February 2026
In Sirohi, Rajasthan, Bajrang Dal workers allegedly forced a hijab-clad woman to tie a rakhi on her male companion’s wrist. While sharing the video on its Facebook page, the group defended the act, claiming that “these days Hindu girls roam around with ‘jihadis’ in burqas” and asserting that the intervention was carried out in the name of security.
In Rae Barelli, Bajrang Dal workers burnt effigies with the text “Valentine’s Day Murdabad”, written on them. In a video byte, a Bajrang Dal worker issued an open threat saying that “If you’re found engaging in amorous activities, then they will break every corner of your body”, while asserting that they were not enemies of love.
In a video statement, Shankar Sharma of the Bajrang Dal unit in Mandsaur, Madhya Pradesh, stated that the group had taken to the streets to protest Valentine’s Day. “If we see a couple, we will teach them a lesson. We have come out to find them,” he announced, adding that such “Western concepts” should not be brought here and must be opposed. He further stated that if couples were “caught”, their parents would be called.
The Rashtriya Bajrang Dal in Dudahi in Kushinagar district of Uttar Pradesh had the same thing to say. In a video issued by their Facebook page, a worker said that the team was ready — “Jahan par bhi mil gaya Babu Shona, tod diya jayega sharir ka kona kona”.
Tutorial Videos on how to Treat Couples
In a video uploaded by a Hindutva worker, he is seen giving a “tutorial” of what he would do during Valentine’s week. The clip shows him running with a lathi in hand and chasing couples in what appears to be a staged sequence. In another video, a worker is seen oiling his lathi in preparation for Valentine’s Day. The text overlaid on the clip reads: “Preparations for 14 February… Brother, don’t get caught even by mistake, otherwise you’ll be beaten up. If you’re seen, you’ll be thrashed,” as he is shown swinging the lathi in the air.
In yet another Facebook post, a worker is seen posing with a lathi. The caption of the image reads, “Bajrang Dal is ready, don’t be seen on February 14, Babu-Shona, otherwise we will break every corner of your body. Bajrang Dal is the strength of this country.”
The antics of Bajrang Dal on Valentine’s Day over the years have also become fodder for jokes and memes online. As public awareness grows about the actions of these self-proclaimed vigilantes, more people are pushing back against their behaviour.
One such instance was reported from Jaipur, where three Bajrang Dal members carrying sticks entered a public park on Valentine’s Day and attempted to intimidate those present. When members of the public confronted them and demanded identification, the men reportedly said that “Bajrang Dal does not have identity cards” before fleeing the scene.
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