Congress attacks cut in Budget for yoga; releases Nehru’s yoga picture
Preparations are under way for the International Yoga Day at Rajpath in New Delhi on Saturday. (Photo: AP)
New Delhi: Marathon preparations have been done for the Sunday event at Rajpath for International Yoga Day celebrations as India leads 191 countries to mark the day with over 35,000 participants expected to perform various yoga asanas on the stretch leading to India Gate. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the gathering.
Diplomats from 152 foreign missions have been invited to take part in the event which will last from 7 am to 7.35 am.
The Congress on Saturday released photographs of first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru practising yoga and launched attack on Mr Modi. Alleging “sheer hollowness” in the government’s claim of propagating yoga for health benefits, Congress communication department chairman Randip Surjewala questioned “cutting the health Budget by a whopping 17 per cent and reducing budgetary allocation of yoga”.
He said that the ministry of ayush (ayurveda, yoga and naturopathy, unani, siddha and homeopathy) has reduced the Budget of yoga from Rs 1,069 crore in 2013-14 to a meagre Rs 318 crore this year. However, the home minister countered the attack, saying, “Yoga connects, not divides. I do not understand why people want to create controversy over yoga. I ask political parties not to do so.”
The ministry of ayush, which is coordinating the event, is aiming to register the event in the Guinness World Records for the “largest yoga demonstration or class at a single venue”. The day will be observed in over 251 cities in 191 countries across the world. The government has set up 2,000 huge digital screens across Rajpath for people to witness the live streaming of the performance on Sunday.
External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj has also reached New York to participate in the International Yoga Day event by the Indian mission at the United Nations.
( Source : deccan chronicle )
Next Story
