MUMBAI (Web Desk) – Ignoring the outcry over the move for introducing yoga at school level and making it compulsory for children to participate in International Yoga Day on June 21, Maharashtra Minority Affairs Minister Eknath Khadse on Wednesday claimed “Namaz is a form of Yoga”.
“In a way, performing yoga for keeping fit and offering namaz are similar. Namaz is nothing but a type of yoga exercise; it hardly matters whether you do it by remaining vertical or going horizontal,” the Indian minister said while responding to a question asked by scribes over criticism by All-India Majlis-E-ittheadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), the Indian Express reported.
“It hardly makes any difference whether you keep fit in the name of the sun or in the name of Allah,” he further claimed.
The Maharashtra government’s decision to have Yoga demonstrations on the International Yoga Day has been met with strong opposition from Muslims. They want the practise of Yoga to be made optional as many believe that Asanas like Suryanamaskar go against the tenets of their religion.
“Those who believe that their faith will be affected should take the name of Allah while doing the posture,” Khadse said while stressing on being fit and healthy only through Yoga.
Rather than taking the Muslims’ outcry into consideration, Khadse lashed out at the MIM which has been the most vocal about its opposition to Yoga. “It is unfortunate that certain parties are taking political mileage by converting this into a religious issue. It is very unfortunate,” Khadse commented.
The Indian minister further added that it was unfair to see claim that the BJP led administration was working towards the Saffronisation of the state – an Indian political neologism used by critics to refer to the policies of right-wing Hindu nationalists (Hindutva) that seek to recall and glorify ancient Hindu cultural history. Many have termed it ‘Intellectual Terrorism’ of Hindu fundamentalists.
However, Khadse refuted the claim that yoga was being made mandatory to push the Hindutva agenda.
