Amid controversy over Cabinet rank given to him in Haryana, yoga guru Baba Ramdev on Tuesday declined the status of Cabinet Minister offered by Haryana Government saying that there is no need for such political appointments as he is a yogi.
The yoga guru turned down BJP led Haryana Government’s offer at the felicitation function organised at Sonepat to honour him for becoming the brand ambassador of Haryana to promote yoga and ayurveda in the State.
Ramdev while speaking at the function said, “I am a sanyasi, service to humanity is my only objective. I am not looking for any ministerial position or status. However, I promise to promote yoga in the State by training one lakh youngsters and opening 10,000 yoga centres across the State.”
“For Government’s decision to bestow me with this honour, I thank them profusely, but I want to humbly hand it back to them (Haryana Government),” added Ramdev.
Ramdev will, however, continue to be Haryana’s brand ambassador to promote yoga and ayurveda. Chief Minister Manohar lal Khattar and his Cabinet Ministers Ram Bilas Sharma, Anil Vij, Kavita Jain among others were present on the occasion.
The State Government had on April 13 announced to give status of Cabinet Minister to Ramdev. He was earlier made the State’s brand ambassador to promote yoga and ayurveda.
The ruling BJP was sharply attacked in the State assembly last month by the opposition Congress for “going out of its way” to appease Ramdev. According to the sources, those granted “status equivalent to Cabinet Minister” are not entitled to salary and allowances payable to a legislator sworn in as a Cabinet Minister. They are, however, entitled to protocol including escort and State guest status at official rest houses.
At the felicitation function on Tuesday, Ramdev said, “I have to work for my country by rising above these honours and rewards… Even when talks about Padma awards were going on, I had said that a “fakir is a fakir” and is above such awards.”
“I have worked selflessly to realise the mission of making Narendra Modi as country’s Prime Minister by treating it as rashtra dharma”, he added. He said that he would make efforts to open as many as 10,000 yoga training centres in the State within next two years with the assistance of State Government so as to impart yoga training to the youth.
Describing Haryana as ‘Hari Ki Bhumi’, Ramdev said that it is the same land where lord Krishna has given his celestial message of
Bhagavad Gita about 5,000 years ago. Similarly, from the same land, the message of yoga and ayurveda would resound in the whole world today. Haryana would get a new recognition in the world for yoga and ayurveda, he added.
Yoga guru said a yogpeeth and Acharyakulam would be opened in Haryana which would be much bigger than Patanjali Yogpeeth, which is at present the largest yoga centre in the world. Besides modern education in computers and science, Vedic education would also be imparted in acharyakulam.
Reacting to the allegations of selling medicines which claim to help women give birth to sons, Ramdev clarified that the medicine Putrajivak is the name of a herbal medicine which is meant to treat the problem of infertility among the female and it has nothing to do with boy or girl gender.
This medicine has been prescribed by the doctors of Indian Systems of medicine, he added while reacting to the allegations leveled by Congress recently.