Patna: Bihar government, which landed into a controversy after school students were made to do `surya namaskar` yoga, on Tuesday said there was no directive to schools for students to do the `asana` and accused the opposition of creating an "unnecessary wrangle".
"As far as the state government is concerned, no directive has been issued to schools to conduct `surya namaskar` by students," Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar told the state assembly.
He said Principal Secretary (Education) has already clarified that `surya namaskar` by students in schools has not been mandated by the state government and so there is no question of forcing students of different religious beliefs to perform the yoga against their wishes.
"Koi karna chahe kare aur jo na karne chahe nahin kare (If students want to perform `surya namaskar` willingly, they can do so)," he said after the Leader of Opposition Abdul Bari Siddique raised the issue during debate on the Governor`s address.
When Siddique quoted from documents that the Education Department directed schools to organise `surya namaskar` for class IX and X students, the chief minister said he was unaware of any order but promised to look into the matter.
Kumar also accused the opposition of creating an "unnecessary" controversy on the issue and said public debate on it was unfair.
PTI
