Prez Mukherjee inaugurates second Int’l Yoga Day at Rashtrapati Bhavan

21 June, New Delhi

President Pranab Mukherjee kicked off the second International Yoga Day at the Rashtrapati Bhavan here this morning. The mass yoga demonstration saw participation of around 1,000 people, including officers and staff of the President’s Secretariat, their families, Delhi Police officials, ITBP and President’s bodyguards and others at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

The event is being organised in collaboration with Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in a mass yoga demonstration of Common Yoga Protocol at the Capitol Complex in Chandigarh.

This year, more than 135 countries are participating in the global mega event, which was declared by the United Nations in 2014 at the initiative of the Prime Minister. Several Union Ministers, including Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and HRD Minister Smriti Irani and BJP leaders are participating in various parts of the country.

BJP president Amit Shah took part at a yoga demonstration in Faridabad. The camp is being organised by Yog guru Baba Ramdev. In the national capital, the Centre and the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) are organising the mega event at Connaught Place and its six radials and inner circles besides three gardens — Lodhi Garden, Nehru Park and Talkatora Garden. Several events are lined up to celebrate the second International yoga across the country.