Modi promotes Yoga for political advantage: Congress
New Delhi, June 21: Congress on Thursday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of not practising yga with the right intention and only promoting it for political advantage.
Also noting that yoga cannot improve India's economic situation, the party also accused Modi and the BJP of "fragmenting the society" and said this cannot be healed through yoga.
"Modi and his party have fragmented the society. You cannot heal it through yoga. Yoga can keep your body healthy but not the society. It cannot improve the economic situation in the country," said Congress spokesperson Pramod Tiwari.
"In order to do that, they (the Modi government) will have to change their way of working. They will have to take everyone along," he added.
"The first theory of yoga is one should not show off. This is a very personal thing if someone is practising it. Modiji has breached that theory.
"He should promote it but Modiji doesn't practise yoga with the right intention.... he wants to use its promotion for political advantage," said Tiwari.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that yoga has the power to unite individuals, society, country and the world at large, and has emerged as a major unifying force globally.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Diljit Dosanjh challenges liquor policy, calls for a dry nation movement
Ahmedabad: Renowned Punjabi singer Diljit Dosanjh has sparked a debate on liquor policies across India, calling for a nationwide prohibition on alcohol. Performing at a concert in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, on November 17, Dosanjh declared that he would stop singing songs about alcohol if liquor sales were banned nationwide.
The singer, who is currently on his Dil-Luminati India Tour, criticised the double standards of authorities who have often targeted him for promoting alcohol through his songs. He cited Bollywood’s widespread use of alcohol themes in movies and songs, questioning why similar scrutiny is not applied to the film industry. He also took a jibe at Bollywood celebrities, pointing out that unlike them, he doesn't endorse or advertise alcohol.
Dosanjh’s remarks came after the Telangana government issued a notice ahead of his Hyderabad concert, asking him to avoid performing songs that promote alcohol, drugs, or violence. Responding to this, he altered his popular tracks Lemonade and 5 Taara during the concert but expressed frustration over what he called selective enforcement.
At the Ahmedabad concert, he highlighted Gujarat's dry state status and said, “If all states close liquor shops, I will stop singing songs about alcohol. During the pandemic, everything was shut down except liquor stores. You can’t fool the youth.”
Dosanjh also offered to refrain from singing about alcohol in concerts held in dry states or on dry days declared by the government. He called upon his audience to support a movement advocating a dry nation.
The singer emphasised his versatility as an artist, noting that he has released numerous devotional songs but continues to face criticism primarily for his tracks that mention alcohol, such as Patiala Peg. “Tweaking songs is easy for me, but the focus should be on broader societal changes,” he said.
Dosanjh also pointed out the disparity in how Indian and international artists are treated. “If an international artist performs, there are no restrictions. But when an Indian artist sings, it becomes an issue,” he remarked.
