V-Day with a difference

Love is in the air and political parties in Thane are busy playing cupid this Valentine’s Day. Both the Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) are playing to the gallery with atypical ideas. For a party that has violently protested against V-Day celebrations in the past, the Shiv Sena has begun celebrating February 14, but with a twist, since last year.

Love is in the air and political parties in Thane are busy playing cupid this Valentine’s Day.

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Both the Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) are playing to the gallery with atypical ideas. For a party that has violently protested against V-Day celebrations in the past, the Shiv Sena has begun celebrating February 14, but with a twist, since last year.

Shiv Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik of Sanskriti Yuva Prathisthan organised a peace rally of senior citizens in Samata Nagar on Sunday.

“We were never against Valentine’s Day. But we were against the westernised adaptation of its celebration. So, we are celebrating sanskruti (cultural) day today with senior citizens,” said Sena MLA Eknath Shinde.

The social organisation also had a rally for senior citizens riding on Bullets and spreading the message of peace. Special children from Dharmaveer Anand Dighe and Jidda School also performed at the programme.

The elderly, who participated in the programme, said it was misconstrued that V-Day is only for the young. While some saw it a time of get-together, for others it was a walk down memory lane.

“Revolt or no revolt, we wait for Valentine’s Day. Anyone who wants to buy cards can come here and get it. There should not be an instance where someone in Thane is disheartened because they did not get cards,” said NCP MLA Jitendra Awhad.