The posturing over surya namaskar and International Yoga Day continues. After Bharatiya Janata Party MP from Gorakhpur Yogi Adityanath went on record to say that those who were opposed to surya namaskar should "drown in the sea", Samajwadi Party leader and Uttar Pradesh minister Azam Khan retorted, "He (Yogi Adityanath) should rather offer namaaz (prayers) that would not only give him physical strength but also put his mind on the right track". Khan maintained that surya namaskar was a religious exercise that should not be forced upon others.