Religion should not be associated with Yoga, says Baba Ramdev

Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev on Friday came out in support of a Muslim girl, who received death threats for teaching Yoga in Jharkhand and said the practice was essential for mental and physical health and that religion should not be brought into this.

A Muslim Yoga teacher of Ranchi, Rafia Naaz, yesterday received death threats for teaching Yoga. She informed that threats started coming in the last three years after the first International Yoga day. It had stopped a few days ago, but began again on October 10.

Speaking to ANI, Ramdev said, "From Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan to Saudi Arabia, so many Muslims practise Yoga. It is an exercise which is good for mental and physical wellness; religion shouldn't be brought into this."

Meanwhile, the security of Naaz was beefed up after she received death threats.

Yesterday, an incident of stone-pelting at her house also took place when the security guard went on a break. The incident stopped after police intervention, but resumed the next morning.

She further said that practising Yoga as a Muslim had never been an issue in her family as well as the neighbourhood.

A resident of Doranda in Ranchi, who has been performing yoga since the age of four, Naaz became popular in her community after sharing the stage with yoga guru Ramdev, and has won many accolades and awards in this field.

As soon as the death threats to her came to the attention of the state police, she was provided with a security guard by Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kuldeep Dwivedi.