As Yogi Adityanath draws parallel between Suryanamaskar and Namaz, here is how Twitter reacted

The CM said that before 2014 if a person would have approached union government with an idea of Yoga Mahotsav, he would have been dubbed communal

By: Rakesh Jha |
March 30, 2017 3:04 pm

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath’s remark comparing Suryanamaskar with Namaz has triggered a new controversy. Addressing a gathering on the inaugural day of the three-day UP yoga mahotsava in Lucknow on Wednesday, the UP CM said there are various similarities in postures of Surya Namaskar and Namaaz.

“Surya Namaskar me jitne aasan aate hain, usme jo Pranayam ki kriyaein hain wo Muslim bhai jo Namaz padhte hain usse milte-julte hain (The asanas of Surya Namaskar are very similar to the Namaz offered by Muslim brothers),” he said.

The CM also said that before 2014 if a person would have approached union government with an idea of Yoga Mahotsav, he would have been dubbed communal. “Our Prime Minister helped in promoting Yoga. Baba Ramdev has taken Yoga to the people… Yoga is a way of self-discipline,” Adityanath added.

Underlining the astounding similarity between the two, the CM said, ” Never before had any effort been made to bring them together, as some people find benefit in votes and not in yoga.”

Reacting to UP CM’s remark, Rajya Sabha MP D Raja, CPI, said now yoga is being linked with religious practices. “why are they giving it a religious angle,” Mr Raja asked.

Here is how Twiterratis reacted to UP CM’s statement

If #suryanamaskar and #Namaz has some similarities so wats wrong in that y to take it negatively,may be he meant ki it’s just our mentality

— Strange People (@StrangeIndians) March 30, 2017

Yes Yogi has all rights to speak on similarities betwn Hinduism & Islam. Its only ppl like Dr Zakir Naik should not open his mouth #Namaz

— Mohsin Khan (@mohsinnow) March 30, 2017

First you saffron-ise yoga, then if you don’t do yoga you don’t belong in India. Then similarities between yoga n namaz (cont) #Yoga #namaz

— Aatish-e-Chinar (@ShaiqNazirMir) March 29, 2017

So yogi will now offer namaz. What a liberal man. Touche https://t.co/NmnLlg00UT

— Rana Ayyub (@RanaAyyub) March 29, 2017

Most know it as Gut feeling.but only #YogiAdityanath has guts to tell to world,#suryanamaskar & Namaz offering are basically same scientific

— Ashok Garekar (@DrGarekar) March 29, 2017