Mangaluru : The Mangaluru city and the Dakshina Kannada district police on Saturday said no one would be allowed to take law into their own hands in the guise of opposing Valentine’s Day on Sunday.

“Such persons will be dealt with sternly,” City Police Commissioner M. Chandra Sekhar and Superintendent of Police S.D. Sharanappa said.

Meanwhile, pursuant to a notice by the city police, the district unit of the Bajrang Dal on Saturday submitted that it would not take law into its hands. If Bajrang Dal activists came across any indecent behaviour on the occasion of Valentines’ Day, they would inform the jurisdictional police, convener Bhujang Kulal told the police.

Mr. Sekhar told reporters here on Saturday that he came across a press release issued by Bajrang Dal that sought a curb on events to be organised to mark Valentines’ Day by the district administration. Mr. Kulal in the release had stated that the Bajrang Dal would oppose the celebrations.

He had also warned that the district administration would be responsible for any untoward incident following indecent behaviour in public places.

The police therefore sought to know from Mr. Kulal what he meant by “untoward” incident and by whom, Mr. Sekhar said. The police would not come in the way of one’s democratic rights of opposing certain things. However, this right should be exercised lawfully and should not intrude into another’s right. At the same time, the police were committed to protecting one’s personal liberty and rights, the commissioner said.

By late evening, Mr. Kulal had conveyed the clarification, said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime and Traffic) Sanjeev M. Patil. Nevertheless, police had made elaborate arrangements to provide security to people in vulnerable locations.

Mr. Sharanappa said since the district was a sensitive one, the police were not taking any chance. Elaborate security arrangements had been made at several places, he said.