'Kiss of Love': Scuffle between RSS workers, protesters in Delhi, 70 detained

New Delhi: The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) workers on Saturday disrupted 'Kiss of Love', campaign being held by youths against moral policing outside Sangh headquarters here.

According to reports, as a gawking crowd watched, scores of activists today locked lips in the midst of a busy street of the national capital here. To stop the protesters, RSS workers tried to prevent the youths from organising the controversial programme.

However, the participants resisted the attempts, leading to a minor scuffle here today evening.

The two groups then raised slogans against each other. Shortly after police intervened to bring the situation under control, reports said.

At least 70 protesting students were detained but were let off within half an hour, police said.

The protesters, including many women, mainly from Left-leaning student organisations, had gathered outside the RSS office near Jhandewalan Metro station today afternoon.

As a few hundred curious onlookers gathered around them, a few of the protesters locked lips. The activists also formed a human chain on the road and blocked traffic.

As word spread of the 'Kiss of Love' protest, some Hindu groups arrived at the spot holding banners that said "Pyar karna theek hai, par sanskriti ke khilaf jana theek nahin hai" (It is alright to love, but one should not go against Indian culture).

The banner had a picture of a kissing couple with a large cross across it.

The Hindu groups accused the Kiss of Love organisers of going against Indian culture.

The All India Students' Association (AISA), Students Federation of India (SFI) and the All India Students' Federation (AISF) were the student groups participating in the protest, reports said.

Meanwhile, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the youth wing of the RSS, condemned the 'Kiss of Love' protest.

Blaming the Left-leaning organisations involved in today's protest, the ABVP in a statement said: "All the Communists walked the streets of Delhi to kiss (actually smooch) each other publicly with the intention of corrupting young minds and to indulge in immoral activities. Next time, they might sleep together on the roads to fulfil their fantasies.

"Shame on such organisations and individuals who think of themselves as moral police and are forcing their version of Western morality on common people," the statement added.

Photographs of the 'Kiss of Love' protest went viral on social networking websites. The Facebook page of the Kiss of Love campaign had registered over one lakh likes up to 7.30 pm.

The programme was conducted here as part of a campaign launched by a group of students in Kerala against moral policing, last week.

The group called 'Free Thinkers' had launched the campaign to protest the recent attack on a coffee shop in Kerala's Kozhikode city by a group of people who criticised the public display of affection by some couples.

(With Agency inputs)