CHANDIGARH:Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab celebrated Yoga Day with vigour on Sunday, with Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar claiming his state hosted the second biggest yoga event in the country.
“It is a matter of pride that our Karnal event had the participation of 25,000 to 30,000 people, second only to the Rajpath one,” claimed Khattar, at the state-level function in Karnal. He said programmes were organised at 60 places across the state, with the participation of about one lakh people.
On Haryana’s efforts to promote yoga, he said, “As many as 1,000 trainers would soon be appointed for the Yog and Vyamshalas to be set up in 1,000 villages in the first phase to train people in yoga.”
Braving the rains in Himachal Pradesh, senior BJP leader L K Advani and Union Minister Smriti Irani participated in yoga camps at Shimla and Palampur, respectively. Over 1,000 people comprising government and retired employees, students and some tourists participated in Shimla. Irani also joined the yoga session at the Ridge in Shimla, where over 500 people participated.
BJP leader and two-time former Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal participated in a yoga camp in his home constituency Hamirpur.
In Punjab, Union Minister for Food Processing Industries Harsimrat Kaur Badal and state Health Minister Surjit Kumar Jyani participated in Amritsar and Fazilka, respectively. Harsimrat said yoga gave mental strength, which could keep youth off drugs.