Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan wants secular nature of yoga to be retained
Thiruvananthapuram, Jun 21: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday termed Yoga as a 'form of healthcare' and said if it is confined within the frames of any religion, a vast majority of the society would be denied its benefits.
Modern Yoga is not something that should be seen in connection with spirituality or any particular religion, the Marxist veteran said in his video message to mark the seventh International Yoga Day.
Stating that Yoga is beneficial for both the physical and mental well-being of people, he urged people to make the ancient practise part of their daily routine.
"Modern Yoga is not something that needs to be seen in connection with any particular religion or spirituality. It should be seen as a form of healthcare,"Vijayan said.
Saying that Yoga is a scientific physical exercise practise, he said it would ensure health and peace of mind to people.
"It's benefits will be denied to a larger section of the society if it is connected to any particular religion or spirituality and it should not happen," he added.
The Chief Minister praised the efforts of the Kerala Yoga Association (KYA), a registered outfit in the southern state to promote yoga science, for its efforts to retain the 'secular nature' of Yoga.
The outfit had imparted yoga training to at least 50,000 people in the state to fight the COVID-19 during the time of the severe spread of the pandemic, he added.
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Minister Parameshwara says remarks on properties linked to drug peddlers 'misunderstood'
Tumakuru (PTI): Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Saturday said his recent remarks on the demolition of properties linked to those involved in narcotics trade were "misunderstood and misinterpreted".
His clarification follows remarks made two days ago on the government's uncompromising crackdown on the drug menace, including action against properties linked to foreign nationals allegedly involved in drug trafficking.
"It is unfortunate. It is taken in the wrong sense. I didn't mean that tomorrow itself I am going to send bulldozers and demolish the houses. That was not my intention. It was wrongly taken," he told reporters here.
Responding to Congress MLC K Abdul Jabbar's question in the legislative council on the growing drug menace in Bengaluru, Davangere and coastal districts, the minister on Thursday detailed the extensive enforcement measures initiated since the Congress government assumed office.
Pointing to the involvement of some foreign nationals, the minister had said, "Many foreign students from African countries have come to Karnataka. They are into the drug business. We catch them and register cases against them, but they want the case to be registered because once the case is registered, we cannot deport them."
"We have gone to the extent of demolishing the rented building where they stay," he had said.
