Congress organises walk to counter yoga on International Yoga Day

Jamshedpur: Protesting against the expenditure of public money on special events marking International Yoga Day, the Congress here organised a walk and alleged that the BJP was trying to "privatise and saffronise" Yoga.

Led by East Singhbhum District Congress Committee president Vijay Khan, hundreds of Congress workers assembled at the Jubilee Park gate here in the morning and joined the 'Walk for Nation and Society', held simultaneously with the International Yoga Day programme conducted by the district administration.

The participants covered a four km walk around the Jubilee park, Khan said claiming the program received an overwhelming response.

The objective behind the programme was to send out a message that walking was good for health and to urge people to walk everyday as it keeps one healthy and benefits the nation and society as well, he said.

Khan said yoga gurus have promoted yoga, which was good for health, but "some people are bent upon privatising and saffronising yoga, which we want to oppose."

He said yoga should be promoted, but not at the cost of the country's exchequer.

Crores of rupees was being wasted on the pretext of promoting yoga, but the money could have been utilised to provide facilities such as toilets, water and medicines to the poor, he said.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government should explain to the nation about the huge spending on the pretext of International Yoga Day," Khan demanded, alleging the way the event was organised, indicated the government's intention to divert people's minds from the burning issues.