BJP's Minority Cell To Organise Yoga Day Celebrations In Unrecognised Madrassas; Samajwadi Party MP Opposes

The Uttar Pradesh BJP's minority cell on Tuesday said it would organise Yoga Day celebrations in hundreds of unrecognised madrassas in the state on International Yoga Day on June 21.
     
"The workers of the party's minority cell will hold Yoga Day celebrations in around 900 madrasas (in the state) using their contacts," Kunwar Basit Ali, head of UP BJP's minority cell, told PTI.
     
To a query, Ali said he was referring to unrecognised madrassas.
     
However, Samajwadi Party MP from Sambhal Shafiqur Rahman Barq has opposed the move, alleging that the BJP government wants that the "madrassas should not function so that Muslim children do not get religious education".
     
Speaking to reporters in Sambhal, Barq said, "Yoga is a good thing and not a bad thing. Every person can do Yoga in their home. What is the meaning of (celebrating) Yoga Day (in madrassas)?
     
"Madrassas are not part of this (Yoga Day events), but are meant to impart religious education... 'Taleem Divas' (education day) should be celebrated in the madrassas," he said.
     
Barq said there used to be "wrestling arenas earlier where the wrestlers used to go to do exercise."
     
Various Muslim bodies in the past have opposed the Yoga Day celebrations, saying that the reciting of 'shlokas' during Yoga interferes with core beliefs of Islam.