Odisha yoga teacher Bhagirathi, who was teaching yoga in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, has alleged that he has been threatened and debarred from work at the behest of India’s Consular General Smita Pant.
Bhagirathi's ordeal started after Prime Minister Narendra Modi named his two-and-a-half-year-old daughter Subhashree in "Man Ki Baat" on June 28, 2015 saying her yoga mudra got viral in international level. After this, Indian Consular General Smita Pant called him to provide yoga training to her.
“I provided yoga training to Pant. But when I asked for my remuneration after four months, she started misbehaving with me and threatened to book a case accusing me of being involved in anti-national activities,” said a disgusted Bhagirathi at a Press meet here.
He further alleged that Pant has started efforts in forming a Vietnam- based National Yoga Forum taking me as its president. I also contributed to strengthen the organisation.
Though I have worked as a yoga trainer in Vietnam Lous, Philippines and Singapore since 2007, I had never faced such mental torture,” said Bhagirathi, a native of Sirisira near Bolagada in Khordha district.
Informing that he has married to a Vietnamese girl and have two children, he lamented saying he is now going through survival crisis as he is not unable to stay either in Odisha or in Vietnam because of the dismal situation.