#TIME » Indian Extremists Say Anyone Using the L-Word on Valentine’s Day Must Marry Comments Feed Scientists Have Made Computer-Chip Transistors Just One Atom Thick New York Train Collision Investigation ‘Will Take One Year’ alternate alternate TIME WordPress.com TIME Time.com MY ACCOUNT SIGN IN SIGN OUT SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE Home U.S. Politics World Business Tech Health Science Entertainment Newsfeed Living Sports History The TIME Vault Magazine Ideas Parents TIME Labs Money LIFE The Daily Cut Photography Videos TIME Shop The 100 Most Influential People The 25 Best Inventions of 2015 Future of Giving Know Right Now Next Generation Leaders Person of the Year 2015 Top 10 Everything of 2015 Top of the World A Year In Space Subscribe Newsletters Feedback Privacy Policy Your California Privacy Rights Terms of Use Ad Choices Ad Choices RSS TIME Apps TIME for Kids Advertising Reprints and Permissions Site Map Help Customer Service © 2016 Time Inc. All rights reserved. World MY ACCOUNT SIGN IN SIGN OUT SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE MORE (BUTTON) U.S. Edition * U.S. Edition * Europe, Middle East and Africa Edition * Asia Edition * South Pacific Edition Sanders Backs Ending Gun Manufacturer Immunity Jeb Bush Finds His Groove in Donald Trump’s Shadow Clinton and Sanders Set for High-Stakes Democratic Debate Republicans Criticize Deal to Free Iranian Prisoners Iran Sanctions Lifted as U.N. Agency Says Nuclear Deal Is Met Jeb Bush Sides With Trump in Debate Over ‘New York Values’ Masked ‘Scream Robber’ From FBI Most Wanted List Arrested in Colorado Son Tricked California Nurse Into Thinking She Won the Powerball What to Know About the U.S. Prisoners Released by Iran Here’s Why People in Panda Suits Are Following Chris Christie Around TIME World India Indian Extremists Say Anyone Using the L-Word on Valentine’s Day Must Marry * Rishi Iyengar @Iyengarish Feb. 5, 2015 SHARE 175686302 Scotty Robson Photography—Getty Images/Flickr RF Online teams will be monitoring social media for flirty messages You should always be careful what you post on Facebook, especially if it’s “I love you” and you’re a Hindu in India around Valentine’s Day — you just might end up getting hitched. At least that’s what will happen if a conservative organization called the Hindu Mahasabha has its way. The organization’s leaders say they will monitor social-networking sites on the day of love and forcibly marry any couples expressing the emotion publicly, the Times of India reports. “Display of love in the entire Valentine’s week is equivalent to not following Indian traditions. Anyone found displaying love on Facebook, Twitter or WhatsApp will be caught hold of,” said the group’s national president Chandra Prakash Kaushik, adding that eight social-media teams are already in place in the capital New Delhi. The group had announced earlier this week that it would also have people on the ground making sure couples exchanging flowers, gifts or public displays of affection tie the knot immediately. That’s only for Hindus, however — interfaith couples will reportedly be made to undergo a “purification” ceremony. Online, Kaushik said, Mahasabha volunteers would message offending couples and ask for their phone numbers and addresses so they can start planning the nuptials. “If they refuse to share their numbers, we will contact their parents — especially those who are active online — and ask them to get them married if they really love each other,” he said. The New Delhi police have plans to tackle the moral police, however, and inspector general Alok Sharma told the Times that any attempts to force couples to marry would be met with legal action. Twitter, of course, had a field day. I think the #HinduMahasabha is run by a bunch of beaus who've been deceived by commitment-phobic people. :-P — Karan Deshmukh (@iKaranDeshmukh) February 4, 2015 If you're caught with boyfriend/girlfriend on V-day, you'll be married off. If you're with spouse, forcefully divorced? #hindumahasabha — Accidental Writer (@accidentlwriter) February 4, 2015 Indian satire website Faking News took it one step further with an article entitled “Gay couples excited after Hindu Mahasabha announces weddings on Valentine’s Day,” pointing out that homosexuality remains illegal in the country. Tap to read full story 0 0 Read Next Your browser is out of date. Please update your browser at http://update.microsoft.com * Home * U.S. * Politics * World * Business * Tech * Health * Science * Entertainment * Newsfeed * Living * Ideas * Parents * Sports * History * The TIME Vault * Magazine * Subscribe * Give a Gift * TIME Shop * Newsletters * Customer Service * Site Map * Privacy Policy * Your California Privacy Rights * Terms of Use * Advertising * Ad Choices Ad Choices © 2016 Time Inc. All rights reserved. Powered by WordPress.com VIP [p?c1=2&c2=6035728&c3=&c4=&c5=&c6=&c15=&cv=2.0&cj=1]