Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday said that yoga does not have connection with any religion and attempts to brand it as a communal practice was not right.
"There are attempts to brand yoga as a communal practice. This is not right. Yoga does not have any connection with religion... Yoga will help people to stay away from lifestyle diseases and drugs... it provides all the physical health for a human body," Vijayan said inaugurating the state-wide yoga day celebrations here this morning.
Vijayan also said the state government will take necessary steps to spread the practice of yoga.
Kerala Governor P Sathasivam participated in the yoga day celebrations at the Raj Bhavan here.
Yoga day celebrations were also held at the Southern Naval Command at Kochi.
In Alappuzha, former Mizoram Governor Kummanam Rajashekharan participated in the yoga day celebrations organised by the local unit of BJP.
Yoga, the ancient discipline of India, known for its rejuvenation of body and soul, has developed a wide international appeal in the past decade or so.
As the first step towards its recognition of its international status, the United Nations decided to celebrate June 21 as the International Yoga Day in 2015. Interestingly, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi suggested the date of summer solstice (longest day of the year) for commemorating the ancient practise intrinsically linked to the sun.
India has been at the forefront of celebrating the International Yoga Day since then.
