Kerala minister questions inclusion of Sanskrit shloka in Yoga day celebration

“Ours is a secular country. Each religious community can have its own prayers to concentrate before starting yoga practice. Those who do not believe in any religion also have their own methods to make the mind concentrate,” she said adding that a commonly accepted prayer could have been included in such an event.

[related-post]

Watch Video: What’s making news

As the issue triggered a controversy with the BJP criticising her, the Minister later clarified to the media that she just expressed her doubt whether rendering such a ‘shloka’ was necessary in such a public function, participated by people belonging to various religious communities.

Also Read: ‘Yoga is not Indian’, says Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev at United Nations

She dismissed reports that she had sought an explanation from the officials for including the ‘shloka’ in the programme schedule.

BJP state unit President Kummanom Rajasekharan criticised Shylaja over the issue and said her act was ‘condemnable’ and she should approach yoga ‘imbibing the reality’