Jaitley hails Baba Ramdev for reviving yoga

With just two days to go for the International Yoga Day, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has hailed Yoga guru Baba Ramdev for reviving the ancient Indian practice and making people aware about the benefits of the same.

While addressing masses at the iconic Rajpath in the national capital, Jaitley today said, "I welcome Baba Ramdev ji and all his co-workers that they have organised this event two days before the international yoga day to celebrate the world wide success of the India's yoga initiative."

"Yoga has been an ancient practice in India. Yoga was well known but in the past few years Baba Ramdev has immensely contributed in reviving yoga and has made people aware about its positive effects and for this the whole nation is grateful to Swami ji. And last year the whole accepted yoga after the United Nations declared 21st June as world Yoga Day," he added.

Baba Ramdev held a massive yoga camp at the iconic Rajpath here this evening to mark the beginning of the International Yoga Day celebrations.

The event saw participation of thousands of volunteers, including political bigwigs such as Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu, Minister of State for Urban Development, and for Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Babul Supriyo, BJP leaders Meenakshi Lekhi, Manoj Tiwari and Vijay Goel besides others.

Meanwhile, elaborate preparations are underway to celebrate the International Yoga Day on Tuesday. The main event will be held in Chandigarh to be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

June 21 was declared as the International Day of Yoga by the United Nations General Assembly in December 2014.

Over 190 countries, including 40 Islamic nations, supported the move to have a special day for yoga.