Bhopal, January 11: While Madhya Pradesh government is making all efforts to make the 'Surya Namaskar' (a famous yogic exercise) exercises into a world record, on Swami Vivekanand's birthday on Thursday in Bhopal; Muslim leaders have opposed the move by issuing a fatwa against it. Taking the cue, the Congress also opposed the ‘Surya Namaskar.’Reacting strongly, the state Govt said that ‘the Sun is neither Saffron nor Green.’
After receiving the ratification from city’s Qazi, Sayyed Mushtaq Ali Nadvi, the Muslim leaders in the state claimed that Surya Namaskar promotes idol-worship which is an "un-Islamic" act, as idol-worship is prohibited among the Muslims.
Supporting the fatwa against Surya Namaskar, Leader of Opposition in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly, Ajay Singh, strongly criticised state government for organising a mass Surya Namaskar exercise tomorrow, terming it a part of "saffron agenda".
"Instead of focusing on improving quality of education and educational infrastructure, the government is wasting resources on organising exercises like Surya Namaskar as a part of its saffron agenda," Ajay said here.
Introduction of Bhagwad Gita in the curriculum was a similar, earlier attempt to saffronise the education, he said. The state government's decision to organise mass Surya Namaskars tomorrow, wherein thousands of students are expected to take part, so as to set a world record, has not gone down well with the Muslim community in the state, leading to a `fatwa' against it.
However, the state Chief Minister, Shivraj Singh Chouhan overruled such fatwas stating that the state has not compelled anyone to participate in the exercise without their consent.
Similar kind of reaction came from state Education Minister, Archana Chitnis who has been quoted as saying, "Surya Namaskar is a Yogic exercise aimed at improving one's health and those not interested in taking part in it have an option to stay away from it. Sun is neither saffron nor green."
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