Patanjali to orgze programs in 1 lakh villages on International Yoga Day: Ramdev

Yoga guru Ramdev on Wednesday said his orgzation Patanjali will orgze programs in one lakh villages across India on the occasion of International Yoga Day on June 21.

"We wanted to orgze programs in at least 1 lakh villages across India through Patanjali on the occasion of International Yoga Day. It is great that Yoga is not being seen through the lenses of religion and practices, it is a knowledge passed on by our ancestors," Ramdev said at a press conference here.

He added that Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had assured him that he would participate in the program in Maharashtra on June 21.

"We finalized a grand program to be held in Nanded with Devendra Fadnavis today. On June 21, CM Fadnavis will do Yoga with me for at least 2 hours here, many ministers of his government will also participate in events at other locations," he said.

Ramdev was attending a joint press conference with Maharashtra Education Minister Ashish Shelar after meeting CM Fadnavis here.

Shelar elaborated about the state government's plans for the programs to be held at different levels on June 21.

"Maharashtra government will orgze many events on the occasion of International Yoga Day on June 21. Programs will be held across the state at the district level on 36 places and 322 places on the taluka level. The participation of four to five thousand people at each event is expected and the advertisement for these will be done through various medium," Shelar said.

Ramdev thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for getting Yoga recognized across the world and said the PM had made it popular again in India too.

"International Yoga Day was declared by the United Nations due to the support of 177 nations which came together after the efforts by PM Modi. He is the first Prime Minister of India since Independence to conduct yoga in public view," he said.

( With inputs from ANI )