Hailing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's initiative for popularising yoga, yoga guru Ramdev today urged Congress president Sonia Gandhi to join the International Yoga Day celebrations on Rajpath.
"I would like to request that the honourable Sonia Gandhi ji accept Modi ji's invitation and join the International Yoga Day celebrations on Rajpath," he said.
"Mahatma Gandhi ji, Nehru ji, Indira ji all did yoga, even Sonia ji did yoga to get well when she was ill," he said, adding that if Rahul Gandhi were to do yoga, his chances of ruling would improve.
The remarks came at an event organised by Patanjali Yogpeeth ahead of International Yoga Day, which is to be observed tomorrow in 192 countries, including several Muslim ones.
Ramdev will be present along with HR Nagendra, a yoga therapist, at Rajpath tomorrow as Prime Minister Modi leads the massive event to mark the day.
Highlighting the benefits of yoga, Ramdev urged the government to include yoga in the curriculum for schools and in police and military and also in the medical sector. He said that one should give equal importance to every aspect of yoga.
"Where there is focus and sanctity, that aspect of life is yoga. If we are doing farming with focus and sanctity, then it is 'krishi yoga'. If we are doing our office work with focus and sanctity then it is 'karma yoga'," he said.
Ramdev also said that there are some myths related to yoga which have arisen due to misinformation and a lack of knowledge. He stressed that everyone should practice yoga breaking the barriers of religion, caste and creed.
Reacting to the controversy surrounding Surya Namaskar, he said, "Surya Namaskar is an exercise and it has nothing to do with any religion and everyone should practice yoga breaking the barriers of religion, caste and greed."
Mufti Shamoon Qasmi, General Secretary of All-India Imam Association, and Shia leader Syed Kalbe Rushaid Rizvi were also present on the occasion along with the direct disciple of Pandit Shriram Sharma Achaya, Dr Pranav Pandya, Morari Bapu, Chidanand Saraswati and Dr D Veerendra Heggade, among others.
A 'World Yoga Encyclopedia' authored by Acharya Balkrishna, co-founder of Patanjali Yogpeeth, was also unveiled on the occasion.
United Nations had in December last year declared June 21 as International Yoga Day. The proposal was mooted by Prime Minister Modi during his address to the UN General Assembly last year.
Meanwhile, the Congress chief, her son and party vice president Rahul and daughter Priyanka Gandhi have left for a short visit abroad. The talk in party circles is that Sonia Gandhi will be away for a week while Rahul, too, is expected to be back next week.
