This week, commuters travelling on Delhi Metro have been greeted by anti-Valentine's Day posters asking them to observe Matri-Pitri Pujan Diwas (Parents Worship Day) on Feb. 14, instead of celebrating love.
While the city's restaurants and shops are rife with Valentine's Day promotions, it's hard to miss these advertisements across over 50 Delhi Metro stations. They belong to the Bal Sanskar Kendra, a religious organisation of the self-styled godman Asaram Bapu, who is currently in prison on charges of sexual assaulting a minor girl.
The posters show two contrasting images of children worshipping their parents, and a young couple being punished by the police for celebrating Valentine's Day.
While social media outrage over the last few days has led the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation to inquire into the issue, the posters continue to stay. Members of the Bal Sanskar Kendra have denied that getting any order to remove the advertisements.
Delhi Metro runs Asharam's ad's threatening couples celebrating Valentine's Day, Its 'worship' parents on Feb 14.. pic.twitter.com/O56gR2FE2f
— Rahul Raj (@Iam_rahul_raj) February 8, 2016
Valentine's Day celebrations in India are usually marked with protests by a minority of right-wing religious groups who criticise it for being against "Indian culture" and for its "corrupting Western values". In the past, there have been incidents of moral policing, vandalism of shops and restaurants, as well as threats against couples on Feb. 14.
Last year, the extreme right-wing group Hindu Mahasabha had even declared that it would marry couples celebrating Valentine's Day in public.