Participation in Yoga Day celebrations voluntary: Sushma Swaraj

New Delhi: India will lead 191 nations to mark the 'International Yoga Day'(IYD) on June 21, highlighted by a mega event here on Rajpath, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said on Tuesday and made it clear that participation in the events was not "compulsory".

Briefing reporters on the elaborate arrangements made by the government for the occasion, Swaraj, who would be at the UN in New York for an event there on IYD, sought to quell controversies surrounding the events.

"I want to specifically mention that this is a voluntary programme and nobody should be forced into this," she said.

The day will be observed in over 251 cities in 191 countries across the world and the Indian missions and diplomatic posts have made arrangements for the celebrations and other related events, she said, adding a grand event will be held on Rajpath in which over 35,000 people are expected to take part. Swaraj noted that the apprehensions in certain sections of the minority community was due to "lack of information".

"They (minority groups) are probably saying this because they don't have the information. 47 members-states of Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC) have not only supported the India-led resolution at the UN but are also co-sponsoring the events. It includes countries like Saudi Arabia and Indonesia which are Muslims countries that have co-sponsored this resolution," Swaraj said

In the Indian context, she said, "If the Muslim community in India wants to perform it after roza iftar, then they are free do it. The time limit is only for government function. Other organisations are free to do whenever they want."

She also decried BJP MP Yogi Adityanath's statement that those opposing 'Surya Namaskar' (sun salutation) should "drown in the sea", and said the statement was "unfortunate".

Responding to a question, Swaraj, who addressed the press along with Shripad Naik, Minister for AYUSH, the coordinating ministry for the IYD events, also said it is not that anything that BJP does is "anti-minority".

Responding to another question on yoga guru Ramdev's statement that offering namaz is similar to doing yoga, she added, "as far as Baba Ramdev is concerned, he is trying to say that yoga is not restricted to any religion. The asanas that happen in yoga...namaz also has those kriyas."

On opposition voiced by some organisations, including the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, against performance of Surya Namaskar as it was against their faith, she said, "A committee was formed that consulted all major yoga institutions.

"They made a common protocol for missions abroad and for governmental purpose...surya namaskar was not included in it because they wanted easy asanas (exercise) in it, which can be performed by anyone," she said.