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A Punjab unit leader of the Shiv Sena had offered to pay as reward a sum of One lakh Rupees to anyone who slaps Bollywood star Aamir Khan over his comment on growing intolerance in India. "Any person who slaps Aamir Khan will be rewarded Rs 1 lakh by the Shiv Sena. This is important because no one living in our country should dare to say anything against India" Punjab Shiv Sena chief Rajeev Tandon said. "Anyone from the hotel staff or the film crew can slap him and take the reward," he added. However, Shiv Sena said that it...

MUMBAI: Shiv Sainiks will vent their anti-Valentine spleen on pubs, hotels and shopping malls in Mumbai on Tuesday. Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray has, in a statement, ordered his followers to put a stop to the "uncivilised" festival. Thackeray's statement which appeared on the frontpage of Saamna on Monday is a clear indication that the Sena, torn by in-fighting and rebellions, is using the Valentine Day protest as a rallying point for its beleaguered rank and file. According to political observers, the statement suggests that notwithstanding his claim to have withdrawn from the day-to-day functioning of the party, Bal Thackeray...

Hardline Hindus have vowed to disrupt St Valentine's Day celebrations in India's central state of Madhya Pradesh, saying the Western love festival was a violation of India's traditional culture. St Valentine's Day has become increasingly popular in India in recent years, led by retailers selling red balloons, velvet pillows and teddy bears to mark the festival. But the growing popularity of the day in officially secular, but mainly Hindu, India has in recent years sparked countrywide protests which have sometimes turned violent. "We will oppose it tooth and nail because the concept of Valentine's Day celebrations has come from the...