Dilli ki Yogshala programme may be discontinued from today

Under the project launched in 2021, the Aam Aadmi Party government ran free yoga classes at 600 locations across the Capital benefitting nearly 17,000 people.

The ‘Dilli Ki Yogshala’ project may be discontinued from Tuesday because the lieutenant governor (LG) VK Saxena has not approved its extension beyond October 31, Delhi government officials said on Monday. However, the claim was refuted by officials in the LG’s office who said they had not received any file seeking permission for the extension.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and deputy CM Manish Sisodia and others perform yoga at Thyagaraj Stadium. (Representative image/PTI)

Under the project launched in 2021, the Aam Aadmi Party government ran free yoga classes at 600 locations across the Capital benefitting nearly 17,000 people.

The likely discontinuation of the yoga programme comes a day after Delhi government officials announced that it was likely to continue beyond November 1 as the board of directors of the Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research University -- which runs the programme -- had decided to continue the government scheme after a meeting on October 29. The decision had been sent to the university’s general council, headed by LG VK Saxena, or ratification.

Deputy CM Manish Sisodia on Monday tweeted: “The board of the university wants the Yogashala to run for the common people of Delhi, the government has also given the budget, but still an order has been issued to close the ‘Yogshala of Delhi’ by intimidating the officers. Currently, 590 yoga classes in Delhi’s parks will be closed from tomorrow (Tuesday).”

However, an official in the LG office said they had not yet received any file seeking permission for extension. “So it is wrong to state that the LG has not approved the extension of the programme, leading to its discontinuation,” he said requesting anonymity.

Last week, the yoga programme sparked the latest round of confrontation between the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP government and the LG, with the former alleging that the BJP was trying to discontinue the programme. The BJP has categorically dismissed the claims and said that the AAP government had not obtained necessary prior approval for the programme when it was launched.

A Delhi government official on Monday said: “Under pressure from the LG, officers have issued orders to suspend the programme despite DPSRU Board’s approval.”

On Friday, Sisodia met Saxena on Friday to request him to approve the files related to the project.

The ‘Dilli Ki Yogshala’ programme was announced by chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on December 13, 2021 to provide free yoga instruction to the citizens of Delhi.