Chanting of ‘Om’ not necessary before yoga: Naidu

New Delhi: Union Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu on Wednesday said chanting “om” during yoga sessions on International Yoga Day (June 21) is not mandatory.

“Do not make yoga controversial. [Saying] Om is not mandatory. Yoga is a great ancient Indian art which will discipline both the body and the mind,” said Naidu in a tweet.

Naidu’s comments come after reports about a central government circular that proposed chanting ‘om’ and reciting Vedic mantras before the 45-minute yoga session on June 21.

Earlier, the Ayush (ayurveda, yoga, unani, siddha and homeopathy) ministry had also said no attempt should made to create a controversy over International Yoga Day and no one would be compelled to chant om.

“There is no compulsion to chant om before the yoga session. It is completely voluntary and one can remain silent. No one will object,” Ayush ministry joint secretary Anil Kumar Ganeriwala said.

The mass outdoor yoga session, to be held in June for its second year, is an initiative spearheaded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is seeking to reclaim the practice as a historic part of Indian culture.

“Yogic practise shall start with a prayer or prayerful mood to enhance benefits of the practise,” read a note by Ayush ministry, which works for the promotion of yoga, as shown by television networks.

The ministry said participants should chant the sacred sound om and Hindu Vedic hymns at the start and end of the 45-minute event on June 21.

Muslim groups reacted with anger, saying on Wednesday such chants were against their faith and accusing the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party of seeking to impose a hardline Hindu agenda.

“We are not against yoga, but India is a secular country and the state has no religion,” Zafaryab Jilani, a member of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, said.

The government waded into a similar controversy last year after it made the surya namaskar pose (sun salutation) part of the event.

Muslim groups say certain yoga poses and chants have clear Hindu overtones and are against Islam.