No free yoga classes from today amid fresh L-G-AAP govt. tussle

Deputy CM Sisodia says government officials have been ‘threatened’ to stop the daily classes; sources in Raj Niwas said they are yet to receive any file seeking extension of the programme

A yoga session being conducted by a Delhi government instructor at a public park in the Capital. | Photo Credit: V.V. KRISHNAN

  

In a fresh stand-off between the AAP government and Lieutenant-Governor V.K. Saxena, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Monday announced that free yoga classes for citizens — ‘Dilli Ki Yogshala’ scheme — will be discontinued from Tuesday as government officials have been “threatened” to issue directions regarding the same.

“The board of Delhi Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research University wants Yogshala to run for the people of Delhi, the government has also allocated the budget, still an order has been issued to close ‘Dilli ki Yogshala’ by intimidating the officials. For now, 590 yoga classes in Delhi’s parks will be closed from tomorrow,” Mr. Sisodia said in a tweet in Hindi. 

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had launched the ‘Dilli Ki Yogshala’ programme in December last year to provide free yoga training to all Delhi citizens at their doorstep. All they needed to do was to assemble a group of at least 25 people willing to learn yoga, and register themselves. The participants also needed to decide on an open space like a park or a community hall for the training.

‘Decision through officials’

In another tweet on Monday, Mr. Sisodia said, “My proposal to continue ‘Delhi ki Yogshala’ after the approval of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was sent to L-G sahib. He has not taken any decision on it yet. But in the meantime, a decision has been made through officials to stop the free yoga class.”

But sources at the L-G office said they are yet to receive any file seeking extension of the programme. “L-G office has not yet received any file seeking permission for extension of the yoga programme beyond October 31 so it is wrong to state that the L-G has not approved the extension of the program due to which it is being discontinued,” read the message sent to reporters by sources at the L-G office.

When contacted, the L-G House did not officially comment on the development.

Last week, Mr. Sisodia had sent a letter to the Secretary of the Directorate of Training and Technical Education over a decision to allegedly discontinue the programme. Later in the week, Mr. Sisodia met the L-G for the latter’s approval to continue the programme.

Pollution campaign

In another related development, two days after the L-G sent back a file for permission on ‘Red Light On, Gaadi Off’ campaign, the Delhi government on Monday submitted the file to the L-G once again for his approval.

“After the L-G’s initial refusal, the government has now sought approval based on global merits of the initiative. The L-G had claimed that there was no evidence of the merits of this campaign; the Delhi government has now sent a bunch of evidence to the L-G,” said Environment Minister Gopal Rai. 

Such campaigns have been run in 40 cities of India; similar campaigns are also running in the U.S and the U.K., he added.