Congress out of power as Nehru, Indira's heirs did not honour yoga: Baba Ramdev
Mumbai, Jun 19: Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi performed yoga in private and their heirs did not honour it which is why power has eluded them as those who do yoga are "directly blessed by god", Ramdev Wednesday said.
He also expressed confidence that "big work" will be done on issues such as Article 370 and triple talaq under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Ramdev, who will be attending an International Yoga Day event in Maharashtra's Nanded on June 21, which will be attended by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, was talking to reporters.
Modi is the first prime minister who performs yoga among people, he said, adding that all central ministers, chief ministers, MPs and MLAs of the BJP perform yoga.
"This has given 'gaurav' (prestige) to it. Isse pehle luke chhupe yog karte the Indira Gandhi ji aur Nehru ji (earlier, prime ministers Indira Gandhi and Nehru performed yoga secretly)," Ramdev said.
"But their (Nehru-Gandhi family's) subsequent generations perhaps did not honour yoga. Is liye unke raj-yog mein bhi thoda sa gadbad ho gaya (hence political power eluded them)," the yoga guru added.
Those who perform yoga are "directly blessed by god", he said.
"I have confidence that under the leadership of Modi and Amit Shah, big work will be done on Article 370, 35A (which give special status of Jammu and Kashmir), one nation-one-law, one-nation-one-election and triple talaq. Because those who are yogi think well of all," Ramdev added.
Yoga is our "big legacy" and "beyond politics, caste, faith and religions", he said, adding that everybody accepts that yoga is "rashtra dharma (national religion)".
To a question on food adulteration, Ramdev, whose Patanjali group has a big presence in packaged food segment, said regulatory bodies should be more alert and transparent.
He also called for laws such as those in China, US and Europe which limit use of fertilisers and pesticides.
"The laws on adulteration are weak here (in India). In China, death penalty is recommended for adulteration of milk and other foods. There should be at least life imprisonment here," he said.
When asked whether he would seek death penalty for food adulteration, he said, "I demand hanging till death for adulteration of ghee, medicines, edible oil...The government should seriously think about it."
Maharashtra school education minister Ashish Shelar, who accompanied Ramdev during the press meet, said the state government would organise Yoga Day events in 322 tehsils.
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Kerala polls: Vijayan, Revanth Reddy trade barbs as campaigning ends
Kannur (Kerala)/Hyderabad (PTI): A war of words between Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his Telangana counterpart Revanth Reddy turned acrimonious on Tuesday, the final day of campaigning for the April 9 Assembly polls.
The two leaders sparred on the virtual world as well, exchanging letters on their respective social media handles.
The escalation came after Vijayan, responding to Reddy's earlier remarks, used Malayalam expressions considered nearly derogatory, signalling strong disapproval of the Telangana CM's comments.
Reddy, campaigning for the UDF in Kollam district, hit back swiftly, likening Vijayan to PM Narendra Modi.
He said he would take any personal remarks from the senior leader as a "blessing" considering his age, but objected to what he described as insults directed at the people of Kerala. "But you cannot abuse our Kerala people," he said, hours before campaigning drew to a close.
The controversy began after Reddy had said "nee po mone Vijaya" by invoking a famous dialogue from superstar Mohanlal's blockbuster movie "Narasimham" while referring to Vijayan on April 1 during a UDF campaign roadshow in Nemom constituency.
Earlier in the day, while reacting to Reddy's earlier remarks, Vijayan said a CM must maintain basic standards of conduct and questioned whether such dignity was being followed.
In his response to a query, Vijayan used Malayalam words that were seen as nearly derogatory for Reddy, signalling his strong disapproval of the remarks made against him.
Sharply reacting to the CM's objectionable remarks, Congress leader V D Satheesan said Vijayan appeared to have "completely lost composure" and warned that any further deterioration in his conduct would have brought "greater embarrassment" to the state.
After the critical remarks during the press meet, Vijayan wrote on his 'X' handle that political differences are natural, but expressing strong disagreement through personally insulting remarks is an attitude that he rejects. Reddy's statements lacked factual backing.
In a detailed letter attached with the 'X' post addressing the Telangana CM, Vijayan said the experience of the people of Kerala was "vastly different" from what Reddy had portrayed.
He clarified that he did not intend to engage in a debate over the performance of the Telangana government, stating that it was for the people of Telangana and political parties there to assess their government.
Referring to Reddy's comments, Vijayan said the LDF government has been consistently publishing progress reports over the past 10 years on the implementation of its election promises, underlining its commitment to continuous accountability.
He also rejected the allegation of "selective appropriation" of Kerala's achievements, including its top ranking in the NITI Aayog SDG Index, and said such criticism was misplaced.
Dismissing claims of industrial stagnation, Vijayan said Kerala has made significant strides in the startup ecosystem and ease of doing business, adding that these achievements have been widely acknowledged.
He also alleged that key infrastructure projects in Kerala, including the Kochi Metro and Vizhinjam Port, faced delays under previous Congress-led governments at the Centre, while long-pending promises such as a railway coach factory remained unfulfilled.
Vijayan further accused the BJP-led Union government of discrimination against Kerala and said the state has been actively resisting what he described as "anti-federal and undemocratic" policies through legal and political means, including approaching the Supreme Court.
He also rejected Reddy's criticism that the LDF was not vocal enough against the BJP, asserting that Kerala has been at the forefront of defending constitutional values.
Concluding his letter, Vijayan reiterated the state government's commitment to building a "Nava Keralam" and moving forward as a model for others.
On April 1, while addressing party workers in Nemom, Reddy used the popular Malayalam film dialogue "Nee po mone Vijaya". He adapted it to target Vijayan, saying "Nee po mone Vijaya".
Reddy went further, claiming that Vijayan's "time is over" and that his "expiry date has passed".
Responding to these allegations, Vijayan had said that the Telangana CM was "misinformed" and accused him of "ridiculing" Kerala and its people while trying to hide the weaknesses of his own state.
In a later response, Reddy defended his remarks and said that many of the statistics cited by Vijayan were taken from the NITI Aayog SDG Index 2023 24, arguing that the data was already outdated.
Reddy in his letter questioned the veteran Marxist leader's claim that Kerala would become the first state to completely eradicate extreme poverty by late 2025 had been achieved. Further, he chooses to conduct himself respectfully and gracefully in his criticism of the Kerala government's performance, whereas Vijayan opted to use language of poor taste.
Reddy, in his letter on X, said that while he respects NITI Aayog's corruption rankings, he wants to know why the infamous gold smuggling case, linked to individuals connected to the CMO, remains unresolved, and why 4.5 kg of gold allegedly misappropriated from the Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple has not been accounted for.
