Bihar govt to not participate in International Yoga Day, Nitish Kumar calls it publicity stunt

Yoga should not be made the issue of political debate or fetching votes, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said on Monday.

"Making publicity of yoga is not bad. It should rather be practised and should not be made the issue of political debate. Otherwise people will think that they are not interested in it and are trying fetch votes through yoga," Kumar told reporters on the sidelines of 'Lok Samvad' programme here.

While replying to a question on 'Yoga' diwas which will be observed on June 21, Kumar said "Yoga is not something which can be done on a particular day, rather it should be practised every day. I too practice yoga every day. But I don't believe in publicity."

People of the state don't need to go outside the state to learn the art of Yoga, instead they can learn it from one of the biggest Yoga centres at Munger, he said while adding that Vipasyana Centre at Budha Smriti Park, Patna is being developed where 10 days (Vipasyana) course will be offered soon.

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In response to a query on UP CM Yogi Adityanath's challenge to air his views on "triple talaq", Kumar said that "first you (media persons) should ask him (Adityanth) on imlementing prohibition (in UP)...Which religion allows liquor consumption or addiction....The hearing on issue of triple talaq is completed in the Supreme Court. We should wait for its decision."

On BJP's statement of UP CM to adopt Bihar, Kumar said that "Is Bihar an orphan that anyone will adopt it. Bihar is not an orphan that anyone will adopt it. Bihar is a lively state."

In a question on Patna's metro project, Bihar CM said that the state government, which has already sent its DPR along with survey report around one and half years ago, pursues it on a regular basis but no final decision has come from the Centre in this regard.

"Patna is not only a state capital but also a historical place.... It is good if the Centre takes a liberal policy in comparison to its earlier policy but if takes a decision which gives less help to the state, then it will be an injustice and partiality (with the state)," he said.

In reply to a query on Centre's mega power project at Banka, the CM said that "what to talk of a particular project, I do not see any seriousness of the Central government in any of its projects."

On the issue of less wage being paid under MNREGA, the CM said that MNREGA is a central scheme whose wage is decided by the Centre. "It has been our (state government's) stand for quite long time that the rate of wage under MNREGA should be at par with the minimum wage decided by the state government. We have been raising the issue with every union rural development minister," he said.

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