BJP state chief Kummanam Rajasekharan has said Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s statement that yoga was only a "form of exercise" comes as an insult to India's spiritual wisdom and its reverred saints.
Kummanam pointed out that by calling yoga a "secular" exercise, the CM also exposed his ignorance and lack of scientific knowledge.
In a Facebook post, the veteran BJP leader said that on International Yoga Day, when the heads of Muslim countries and other world leaders were actively promoting yoga, Kerala's Chief Minister “celebrated” yoga by delivering a speech which insulted the country's cultural philosophy and our high-thinking rishis (sages).
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“There are references to the yoga in the Bhagavad Gita and the Upanishads, but Pinarayi Vijayan says it is secular and a mere physical exercise. It's unfortunate that the state's Chief Minister lacks scientific knowledge," Kummanam wrote in his Facebook post.
On Tuesday, Pinarayi had said that yoga was not a part of any religion and should be practised with a free and secular mind.
"Some people have been trying to hijack yoga by reciting 'suktas'. Such attempts should be checked as yoga is not a religious ritual. There should not be any misunderstanding that it is part of any religion. Yoga should be practised with a free and secular mindset," the CM stressed.
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Inaugurating the state-level observance of International Yoga Day at the Central Stadium in the capital, the Chief Minister also said yoga should be seen as a set of exercises that can be practised by anyone.
"There has been a conscious attempt to create misunderstanding about yoga. Any move to connect yoga with any particular religion should be checked," he added.