The International Yoga Day celebrations in West Bengal were a low-key affair today with neither Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee nor any of her ministers participating in any yoga session anywhere.
Union minister Mahesh Sharma and other BJP leaders performed yoga asanas in public as part of the International Day of Yoga celebrations.
When contacted, Trinamool Congress (TMC) secretary general and state Parliamentary Affairs Minister Partha Chatterjee said the party observed the International Yoga Day every year and this year was no exception.
"International Yoga Day was observed in Moulali today. In the districts also, it was observed in schools. Last year, we had observed the International Yoga Day in Kolkata," he said.
Sharma took part in a yoga session near Shahid Minar in the heart of the city.
Asked if he had noticed a lack of enthusiasm as regards the Yoga Day celebrations in the state, the Union minister of state (independent charge) for culture evaded a direct reply.
"West Bengal is a part of India and yoga transcends the boundaries of states, countries, religions and fosters brotherhood," he said.
BJP national secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya, who also attended the yoga session near Shahid Minar, said it was a matter of regret that the West Bengal government was finding politics in everything.
"Yoga Day is also being celebrated in the Islamic countries, but the West Bengal government is politicising everything," he said, replying to a question on the alleged lack of enthusiasm in the state as regards Yoga Day celebrations.
"Of the 193 countries, 177 are celebrating the International Yoga Day, in recognition of the ancient tradition of India," Sharma said.
Across the state, yoga sessions were organised in various state-run and private educational institutions.
Last week, Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi had written to the vice-chancellors of the state-run universities, requesting them to celebrate the International Yoga Day, which drew protests from the state government.
Chatterjee, who is also the state education minister, had said the governor sending letters directly to universities, asking them to hold Yoga Day celebrations, was "unprecedented and unacceptable".
Vice-Chancellor of Kalyani University Shankar Ghosh said around 300-400 people took part in a yoga session at the institute's yoga centre this morning.
He added that the institute had been observing the International Yoga Day for years, and not after receiving the letter from the governor, who is also the chancellor of the university.
Registrar of Jadavpur University Chiranjib Bhattacharya said the physical education department of the institute and the National Service Scheme (NSS) had organised yoga sessions to mark the day.
A senior Calcutta University official said yoga sessions were held on the university campus by the NSS, like in the last few years.
A statement from IIT Kharagpur said the institute celebrated the day with a yoga demonstration at the Technology Students Gymkhana.
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