Bharatiya Janata Party MP Pragya Singh Thakur will host one of the four online sessions being organised by the Lok Sabha Secretariat to mark the International Yoga Day on June 21, PTI reported. According to a bulletin issued on Friday, she will deliver a lecture at noon on “Yoga: A Way of Life”.
“The celebration will consist of various practical sessions and lectures on various aspects of significance of Yoga in current situation,” the bulletin said.
The event will start at 7 am with a practice session hosted by yoga instructor Ami Desai, according to the schedule. This will be followed by a meditation session hosted by BJP MP Sumedhanand Saraswati.
In May 2019, Thakur had created a huge controversy during the Lok Sabha elections by calling Mahatma Gandhi’s assassin Nathuram Godse a patriot. She issued an apology following a barrage of criticism from her own party as well as the Opposition. Prime Minister Narendra Modi later said he would never be able to forgive Thakur for her comments.
On Friday, Congress MP Manickam Tagore questioned if Modi “has changed his heart” about the controversial parliamentarian. “On PM’s pet project on the Yoga Day now she will be the chief guest for all MPs shows the mann se maaf [forgiven from the heart],” he tweeted, referring to the phrase used by Modi in 2019 while denouncing Thakur.
The 51-year-old leader had won the 2019 election from Bhopal, defeating senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh by a margin of over three lakh votes. She is also one of the accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case.
The BJP MP has health problems and requires assistance in walking. She usually comes to the Parliament in a wheelchair.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!