Narendra Modi government selects NGO run by Muslim couple for yoga event

LUCKNOW: Amid criticism from its detractors that it is communalizing yoga, the Modi government on Monday selected an NGO run by a Muslim couple for holding a month-long yoga camp to mark the International Yoga Day on June 21.

NGO, Mohammad Sayeed Memorial Welfare Society (MSMWS), works for health and educational issues of the under-privileged. MSMWS happens to be the only Muslim NGO to be Based in Balrampur.

"We have been running Yoga sessions since 2013 after I went to Kerela and underwent a training session at Ispaa Academmy in Cochi," says Akhtar, who runs the NGO with his wife Shaista. At present, 100 members attend the sessions supvervised by the couple. Over 200 people are expected to take part at the Balrampur stadium event.

Akhtar, 38, is not forcing Muslim participants to recite 'Om' while practicing Surya Namaskar and has accordingly directed his two instructors - Rupendra Srivastava and L N Tripathi. Muslim participants have been asked to either recite 'Allah', 'ayat' or any word they wish to or not say anything at all while practising Surya Namaskar and meditation.

Sakshi calls himself a true Muslim

Controversial BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj stirred another controversy by claiming that he was a true Muslim and Prophet Mohammed was the biggest practitioner of yoga, TV reports said.

Maharaj said, "In Islam, the biggest name is that of Mohammed and I think Mohammed saab is a great yogi. I think that a Muslim is one with 'iman', thus a Mussalman. I am a true Muslim."

Earlier, hitting out at UP minister Azam Khan, who has advised Yogi Adityanath to offer namaz, the BJP MP said that Hindus do not have problem in taking name of 'Allah' as they believe in different cultures but if Azam Khan has guts he should speak 'Jai Shree Ram' and prove that he is a true Indian.

Ahead of the government's big plans for Yoga Day on June 21, the BJP MP had also said that all those who objected to the surya namaskar should jump into the sea.

Nitish flays BJP for publicizing yoga

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar on Monday once again flayed the BJP for launching publicity campaign to promote International Yoga Day on June 21 saying that the ancient exercise regime was not a thing to publicize. "It's a fitness regime which should be done in private for one's own good health. I believe that yoga is a philosophy and way of life," he said.