Bajrang Dal members harass couples in Ghaziabad ahead of Valentine’s Day

As Valentine’s Day approaches, incidents of moral policing by Hindutva right-wing groups have surfaced once again in north India, with Bajrang Dal members launching a widespread campaign to harass unmarried couples in public parks across Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad.

A series of videos that emerged on social media on Thursday, February 13, show the group wielding wooden batons while threatening couples, as saffron-clad men confront young individuals by inspecting their identity documents and ordering them to leave, The Siasat Daily.

One clip shows the group confronting a couple sitting on a bench, demanding their identity cards and subsequently forcing them out of the park, while another video captures a man in saffron robes snatching a book from a young girl, who can be heard pleading for its return.

The members, armed with sticks, continue their aggressive approach while chanting slogans such as “Jai Bajrangbali” and “Jai Shri Ram,” creating an atmosphere of intimidation in public spaces.

Hindutva organisations, particularly the Bajrang Dal, which serves as the youth wing of the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), have a long history of moral policing, and their attacks intensify every February 14 under the pretext of protecting “Bharatiya Sanskriti” (Indian culture).

These right-wing groups frequently target interfaith couples, using baseless ‘love jihad’ accusations as justification for their actions, and their campaigns often escalate into acts of violence and harassment.