Holding Opposition parties responsible for the protest against Yoga day, Union Minister of State (I/C) for AYUSH Shripad Naik on Saturday said protests against International Yoga Day event are politically motivated. Defending the Yoga day event, Naik said, “It’s a way to keep one fit, so there is nothing like imposition of thoughts through Yoga.”
“People can chant name of their respective gods while performing Yoga . ‘Surya namaskar’ was never a part of the Yoga ‘asanas’ to be performed during the June 21 event,” the minister maintained.
Naik, who is coordinating the mega event, said that when 47 Muslim nations across the world are supporting the event, the opposition in the country has “no-point” and more than a dozen Muslim bodies in India too have supported the event.
“Our preparations are on full swing. There was opposition by some bodies or individuals on two issues –surya namaskar and pronouncing Om during the beginning of the event. On the first issue, we have not included it in the common Yoga protocol. It was not there from the beginning, Naik said, adding, “On the second issue, we have not made it compulsory. Those who want to say ‘om’ can do it. Those who do not want to, if they want to take the name of their own god, they can take that. There is no compulsion.”
As a part of Yoga day celebrations, Naik launched Stop Diabetes Movement (SDM) by S-VYASA University, in collaboration with Arogya Bharati (body run by RSS sympathisers) and Indian Yoga Association while supported by AYUSH and Health Ministry.