Yoga integral part of our culture, says PM Modi
Ranchi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday performed Yoga with around 40,000 enthusiasts at the Prabhat Tara ground here and said everybody should practice the ancient Indian discipline lifelong.
The Jharkhand capital has been selected as the venue for the main event for the 5th International Day of Yoga.
Events to mark the day are being held across the country and several of them are being led by Union ministers, including Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh.
Modi also said the government has been working to make Yoga a pillar of preventive healthcare.
Expressing concern that young people are becoming vulnerable to heart ailments, Modi said, "Yoga can play a huge role in tackling the issue and hence, this year's theme is 'Yoga for Heart'."
He also appealed to the people to take yoga to all sections of society.
"We should make efforts to take yoga from cities to villages, tribal areas. Yoga is above region, above faith, above everything," Modi told the gathering.
He also stressed that for yoga to become popular, infrastructure for it must be strengthened and said the government was working towards it.
Urging people to make yoga a part of daily life, Modi said, "Peace and harmony are related to Yoga. People across the world must practice it."
The prime minister had arrived here Thursday night to participate in the main event on the International Yoga Day. Since 2015, the International Day of Yoga is celebrated annually on June 21.
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PM Modi speaks to Iranian president, discusses 'serious' situation in West Asia
New Delhi (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday night spoke to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian over the phone and discussed the "serious situation" in West Asia.
Modi expressed deep concern over the escalation of tensions in the region and the loss of civilian lives as well as damage to civilian infrastructure.
The prime minister told the Iranian President that the safety and security of Indian nationals, along with the need for unhindered transit of goods and energy, remain India's top priorities.
“Had a conversation with Iranian President, Dr Masoud Pezeshkian, to discuss the serious situation in the region. Expressed deep concern over the escalation of tensions and the loss of civilian lives as well as damage to civilian infrastructure,” Modi said in a post on X.
The prime minister also reiterated India's commitment to peace and stability and urged dialogue and diplomacy to end the crisis.
The prime minister had spoken to leaders of several West Asian countries in the last 10 days in the wake of the coordinated offensive launched against Iran by the United States and Israel, in which the Islamic country's Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, was killed last month.
In retaliation, Iran has fired drones and missiles at Israel and US military installations around the Gulf region, including the global business and aviation hubs of Dubai and Doha.
Modi earlier spoke to the leaders of Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Jordan, Israel and Qatar, and expressed concern over the attacks on their countries, and condemned the violation of some nation’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
He also discussed the welfare and security of the Indian community residing in those countries.
Around 1 crore Indians live in the Gulf and West Asia. While about 10,000 Indian citizens live, study and work in Iran, more than 40,000 live in Israel.
