Sakshi Maharaj accuses opposition of doing politics over 'Surya namaskar'

Sparking a fresh controversy, saffron-clad BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj on Monday claimed himself to be a true Muslim and dubbed Prophet Mohammed as a "great yogi" and the biggest practitioner of yoga.

Sakshi Maharaj accuses opposition of doing politics over 'Surya namaskar'

Lucknow: Saffron-clad BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj has accused opposition parties of trying to do politics over 'Surya namaskar' and misleading minorities, saying this yoga asana has nothing to do with any religion.

"Surya namaskar has nothing to do with any religion. There is no difference between Allah, Bhagwan or God. It brings your mind in sync with the body and soul," the BJP leader said at an event here yesterday.

"Opposition parties are trying to do politics over Surya namaskar and misleading minorities," he added.

Sakshi Maharaj further said people should stop communalising the sun.

"If sun does not rise, the whole world will become blind. Those who communalise sun should not take its light," he said.

Terming as "baseless and politically motivated" opposition to the International Yoga Day event on June 21, the government on Saturday said people can chant the name of their respective gods while performing.

It also said 'Surya namaskar' was never part of the yoga 'asanas' to be performed during the event.

Shripad Naik, Minister for AYUSH which is coordinating the IYD, said that when 47 Muslim nations across the world are supporting the event, the opposition in the country had "no- point" and more than a dozen Muslim bodies in India too have supported the event.

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