Ram Madhav takes a dig at Rahul Gandhi at Yoga Day meet in Kerala

Thiruvananthapuram, June 21

Alluding to Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, who courted a controversy for browsing his mobile phone during the President’s address, BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav on Friday said there were “kids” in Parliament and yoga would help those with “kiddish temperament”.

Inaugurating a programme organised by the BJP here to celebrate the International Day of Yoga, Madhav took the dig at Gandhi.

During President Ram Nath Kovind’s address to a joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament on Thursday, Gandhi was seen scrolling through his mobile phone, kicking up a row.

“In the classroom, it might get difficult to focus on what the teacher is teaching. It’s difficult to focus on our textbooks during examination. We fall asleep. But don’t worry. There are kids in schools, there are kids in Parliament also,” Madhav told the gathering, including schoolchildren.

“They can’t even focus on the speech by our President. They have to go through their mobile phones, check their messages, or play video games. This kiddish temperament of unstable mind, if this needs to be controlled, you need yoga,” the BJP leader said.

Following the row over Gandhi using his phone, the Congress objected to the comments made by some BJP leaders saying the ruling party should not make such remarks.

On the Sabarimala temple issue, which saw protests breaking out after the Kerala government decided to implement the apex court verdict allowing women of all ages to offer prayers at the Lord Ayyappa shrine, Madhav said people here were forced to go on to the streets to save their traditions and this was like the situation that prevailed under the Mughal rule.

Some people think that “every tradition in this country is to be dismissed, or hated. Whether it is the Sabarimala tradition or yoga, because it is Indian. Because this is based on ancient wisdom of this country, they hate it,” he said.

“They just want to destroy it. They do not realise that this tradition, this culture, this value system is what is going to ultimately save the world and take it on the path of peace, prosperity and development. They are out to destroy these traditions. We need to teach yoga to them also,” Madhav said. PTI