"We don't need to celebrate Valentine's Day": Hyderabad Bajrang Dal convenor

"We will try to make sure the 14th of February is remembered as 'Veer Jawan Diwas' and not by any other name," Akhil, Hyderabad Bajrang Dal convenor, told ANI.

"We want to pay our tributes to our soldiers who died in the Pulwama attack on this day. We don't need to celebrate 14th February (St. Valentine's Day) as promoted by Western countries. 14th February is 'Veer Jawan Diwas'," he added.

In the past, Bajrang Dal workers disrupted Valentine's Day celebrations in many cities.

Valentine's Week begins with Rose Day on February 7, initiating a series of days dedicated to celebrating different aspects of romance, and culminates on February 14 with Valentine's Day, the grand finale where couples express their love and gratitude for each other.

Rose Day heralds the start of Valentine's Week, a time when lovers exchange roses as a heartfelt symbol of their affection.

This day sets the stage for the week ahead, infusing the atmosphere with love, romance, and tender gestures. As timeless emblems of love, passion, and romance, roses carry profound meaning. Presenting roses on Rose Day expresses deep emotions of love and devotion. With each colour representing a unique sentiment, roses beautifully convey a spectrum of emotions

The Pulwama attack occurred on 14 February 2019 when 40 valiant Indian soldiers were killed after a suicide bomber rammed an IED-laden vehicle into the security convoy carrying them.

Days after the attack, the Indian Air Force carried out multiple aerial strikes on February 26, 2019, at JeM terror camps in Pakistan's Balakot, killing a "large number" of terrorists and destroying their infrastructure.

The air strike was launched in the early hours of February 26 and Pakistan's efforts to launch an offensive the next day to target Indian military installations in Jammu and Kashmir were thwarted by an alert IAF.

In the dogfight, Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, flying a MiG-21 Bison fighter plane and chasing Pakistani jets, crossed over to PoK, where his aircraft was shot down. He was taken into custody by Pakistan. India also shot down a Pakistani fighter jet. (ANI)