After the controversy over ghar wapsi (reconversion into Hinduism) and Nathuram Godse bust incident, the Hindu Mahasabha is back in news, this time for moral policing. According to reports, the group in western Uttar Pradesh has warned of punishments for couples found celebrating the Valentine's Day. There will also be an Arya Samaj wedding for the couples and a 'shuddhikaran', a purification ritual in case the couple belong to different faiths. The report adds that the Mahasabha will be mainly targeting couples found with roses in hand and caught hugging in malls and parks .The report quotes the Mahasabha's National President Chandra Prakash Kaushik said that "India is a country where all 365 days are days for love, why then must couples observe only February 14 as Valentine's Day?". Kaushik insists that couples claiming to be in love must get married and that if the couple feels unsure about the marriage then the group will inform the parents about them, the reports adds. Regarding the Mahasabha's plan to impose the ritual of 'shuddikaran' on unsuspecting interfaith couples caught on Valentine's Day, the report quotes an Agra member of the organisation, Mahesh Chandana. According to Chandana, all Indians are Hindus and hence they will compel the interfaith couple to marry. "Hence, the weddings (of couples caught on Valentine's Day) will be preceded by shuddhikaran," he added. Meerut members of the Mahasabha stress on the importance of ghar wapsi claiming that 'foreign festivals' must not be celebrated by Hindus and 'that they stop believing in the existence of any other religion'.
