Yoga Day: Pak govt's Twitter handle posts tricolour symbol, quickly edits but not before netizens take note

On International Yoga Day on Friday, the Pakistan government's official Twitter handle made a gaffe of sorts by tweeting an Indian flag symbol in a post on International Yoga Day.  The tweet on its @pid_gov with the hashtag #YogaDay had an Indian flag with a person meditating. The tweet was quickly deleted and replaced with one that did not carry the flag. However, the tweet was not to be missed by netizens and the Pakistan government was quick to face ire.

"The fifth International Day of Yoga is being celebrated under the theme " Yoga for Climate Action".  Yoga is an ancient physical, mental and spiritual practice. Today it is practised in various forms around the world and continues to grow in popularity," the tweet by Pakistan government's official Twitter handle said. 

"The benefits of yoga provide both instant gratification and lasting transformation. In the fitness world, both are extremely important. Yoga can change your physical and mental capacity quickly while preparing the mind and body for long-term health," the handle said in another tweet.

The fifth International Day of Yoga is being celebrated under the theme " Yoga for Climate Action". Yoga is an ancient physical, mental and spiritual practice. Today it is practiced in various forms around the world and continues to grow in popularity. pic.twitter.com/7VpeYwzBTr

— Govt of Pakistan (@pid_gov) June 21, 2019

Yoga Day celebrations in India were led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from the Prabhat Tara ground in Ranchi.

International Day of Yoga is celebrated annually on 21 June since its inception in 2015. An international day for yoga was declared unanimously by the United Nations General Assembly after being backed by 175 countries. Yoga is a physical, mental and spiritual practice originated in India. The first International Yoga Day was held on June 21, 2015 when 30,000 people, including PM Modi, participated in the event that took place at Rajpath. 

“Yoga is an invaluable gift from our ancient tradition. Yoga embodies the unity of mind and body, thought and action ... a holistic approach is valuable to our health and our well-being. Yoga is not just about exercise; it is a way to discover the sense of oneness with yourself, the world and nature,” the UN had said in its resolution.