Minister Anjaneya does a U-turn asana

Bengaluru: Call it a face-saving exercise or a U-turn by Social Welfare Minister H Anjaneya. Now, he says he is not a “yoga virodhi” and that his remarks on yoga were misinterpreted by the media.

On Wednesday, while interacting with journalists in Bengaluru, the minister had said yoga was meant for the rich and lazy. He said hardworking people like labourers and farmers, who sweat it out in the heat, do not need to subscribe to yoga.

He did not stop at that. He said there was no need for him to practise yoga. Minister R V Deshpande had reacted sharply to Anjaneya’s remarks. BJP’s Suresh Kumar had posted pictures of Anjaneya participating in a yoga camp held at the Legislators’ Home on his Facebook account. 

Obviously, embarrassed by this, Anjaneya on Friday told mediapersons that he had been in public life for 42 years and was well aware of his conduct and speech in public domain.

“I had said lazy and affluent people practise yoga for mental peace and to remain fit, while hardworking people like labourers and farmers, who sweat it out in the heat, do not need to subscribe to yoga. This statement has been misinterpreted,” he said, adding that he hadn’t intended to hurt anybody’s sentiments. 

The minister, however, maintained that it was not right to make yoga mandatory and that it should be left to individual choice. He said he hailed from a district (Chitradurga) which upheld the philosophy of yoga.