Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday called for the introduction of daily yoga classes in all Government schools in the national Capital. He said that the city Government will soon roll out yoga classes in its schools so that children can learn and practice it from an early age. Celebrating International Yoga Day, Kejriwal performed yoga asanas with hundreds of people at the Thyagraj Stadium along with Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia.

“We started free yoga classes for Covid patients this year and around 4,600 people signed up for it during the third wave. I am not saying that yoga can cure Covid but research has shown that yoga helped the patients a lot in improving their immune systems and fighting the infection,” he said.

He also said that his Government will continue to teach yoga to people for free and that it was on a mission to increase the number of beneficiaries manifold. “Come be a part of ‘Dilli Ki Yogshala’, if you want to take up yoga, then call us on 9013585858, the city Government will provide you yoga teachers for free,” said the Chief Minister.

 “Everyone in Delhi should be in good health. Our goal is that everyone, in every home, should perform yoga first thing in the morning. The most important point is that yoga should be taught to children from an early age. I'll also ask the Delhi Education Minister to launch yoga classes in schools soon,” said the Chief Minister.

Stressing that medical treatment for Delhiites had been made completely free in Government hospitals, Kejriwal said, "Our aim is to now ensure that every Delhiite takes up yoga and never falls sick. If yoga becomes a part of one's life, it frees them of all diseases and tension."

Walking down memory lane, Kejriwal said he had learnt several yoga asanas by enrolling himself at a yoga ashram during his school summer vacation days.

The Chief Minister said when the third wave of the pandemic hit the national Capital, the city Government began an experiment to evaluate if yoga could be beneficial to patients.           “I am pleased that the Delhi Government's yoga teachers and the professors of DPSRU (Delhi Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research University) did such an excellent job. When people were infected, they were asked to practice yoga and were taught how to perform the asanas,” said Kejriwal.

Under 'Dilli Ki Yogshala', the Delhi Government provides a free yoga trainer to groups of 25 people to learn the ancient Indian practice in community spaces and parks.

So far, 17,000 citizens have opted for the scheme at 546 parks and public spaces across the Capital, according to Government data.