Kejriwal asks residents to sponsor yoga trainers

NEW DELHI: Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday released a Whatsapp number and appealed to people to sponsor the salaries of trainers who are conducting free Yoga classes under the government ‘s ‘Dilli Ki Yogshala’ programme.

“A Yoga teacher gets a salary of Rs 15,000. Please contact us on Whatsapp at 7277972779 to indicate how many teachers’ salaries you wish to bear. Write the cheque in the name of the teacher only. Some people are willing to bear the entire cost, but I think that it would be more plausible if all Delhi residents come forward and join our endeavour to keep Yoga classes running. We had planned to provide free Yoga training to 17 lakh people in Delhi, but the LG and the BJP did not allow even 17,000 people learning Yoga for free. We have decided that together with the people of Delhi, we will not allow the Yoga classes to stop in any circumstances. I will

Aarrange the funds in whatever way I can, but the trainers will be paid,” Kejriwal said at a press conference.

The Dilli ki Yogshala scheme was announced by chief minister Kejriwal on December 13, 2021 to provide free yoga instruction to the citizens of Delhi.according to the government till October 31 this year, nearly 17,000 people were learning fee Yoga at 600 locations, including public parks, across the city.

The Yoga classes scheme had emerged as yet another flashpoint between the lieutenant governor and the Delhi government with the latter alleging that the LG had not approved the continuation of the scheme. Officials in the LG office had earlier said that they did not receive any file seeking extension of the programme.

Kejriwal on Saturday alleged that LG VK Saxena and the BJP were hurting the citizens by stopping the free classes. “I was saddened, when a few days ago, the LG and the BJP attempted to stop the Yoga classes. These classes were organised to improve the health of our citizens and primarily assist those who were dealing with post -Covid complications. More than 17,000 people have so far benefitted from these classes. The BJP tried to snatch away this opportunity from the 17,000 people who are currently enrolled in this programme. Salaries of these yoga teachers were held back and they were asked to not take any more classes,” Kejriwal said.

The BJP said that it was shocking that a chief minister was asking for public funds to run a government scheme. “With Kejriwal seeking private funds for Yoga classes, he has once again shown that he is a total anarchist who has no respect for Constitutional norms. The BJP has already clarified that no one is stopping Yoga classes. There is no question of the LG stalling the classes. Kejriwal government should have fulfilled administrative formalities and sought competent authority’s approval which they can do even now, but Kejriwal wants to run the government at his whims,” said Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor.

The LG office did not comment on Kejriwal’s allegations.

Replying to a question on the allegations of corruption levelled against Delhi minister Satyendar Jain by conman Sukesh Chandrasekhar, the chief minister said, “The BJP has brought in Sukesh Chandrasekhar as their star campaigner. Their condition is so bad that they need a jailed person to be their star campaigner. And while sitting in jail this person has also started using the language of the BJP. He has asked for a lie detector test to be conducted on me. He is basically being trained to join the BJP.”

Kapoor said the Kejriwal should first set his house in order, and respond to the allegations levelled by Sukesh against his minister.