“Yoga is for health, wellbeing, mental and emotional stability, which is very much a necessary right for students,” Bhagwat said.
She noted that Yoga had been accepted in more than 193 countries and claimed that over 300 research papers had demonstrated the benefits of a daily 20-minute Yoga practice in improving life expectancy and quality of life.
Bhagwat also claimed that Yoga could help prevent a large number of idiopathic diseases, where the exact cause is unknown.
Clarifying the contents of the circular, she said it did not mandate attendance at school-based events alone.
“It only expects that you attend a yoga session in any place close to you,” Bhagwat said.
The exchange comes ahead of International Yoga Day celebrations on Sunday, with the Congress and the BJP taking contrasting positions on the state government’s directive.
The Congress’s objection comes a day after the Calcutta High Court disposed of a petition challenging a West Bengal government order on participation in International Day of Yoga celebrations after the state clarified that attendance at the event was voluntary and not mandatory for public servants.
The petition, filed by the State Coordination Committee of West Bengal Government Employees, had alleged that a government memo made participation compulsory. After the state government informed the court that the communication was merely an appeal and did not mandate attendance, Justice Amrita Sinha observed that the litigation was unnecessary and disposed of the matter.
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