As the government moved into overdrive on Friday to prepare for the International Yoga Day celebrations on Sunday, the Congress said it was not opposed to the spiritual discipline and pointed out that many of its former premiers including Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and P.V. Narasimha Rao were practitioners of yoga.
“Mr. Narendra Modi did not invent yoga,” said the former Union Minister, Jairam Ramesh, to a question whether Congress parliamentarians would accept the government’s invitation to participate in the celebrations. “It is an important day and people should participate.’’
The government has sent out invitations and T-shirts to all Members of Parliament for the early morning event at Rajpath which the Prime Minister is expected to address.
Who’s best at the headstand?
Stating that several former Prime Ministers used to do yoga but did not publicise it like Mr. Modi, Mr. Ramesh wanted to know whether “Narendra Modi can do the sirshasana [headstand] the way Nehru could and has been photographed.’’
