Municipal commissioner Ajoy Mehta is expected to seek state government's approval for the proposal before sending out the directives to the schools.
A day after the Shiv-Sena BJP-ruled Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai finalised a proposal to make Surya Namaskar and Yoga mandatory for students of 1,400-odd civic schools, politicians have locked horns depending upon their ideologies, so as to maximise their gains ahead of the civic polls slated early next year.
Municipal commissioner Ajoy Mehta is expected to seek state government's approval for the proposal before sending out the directives to the schools.
"Surya Namaskar means worshipping and bowing down before the Sun. Muslims can't bow down before anyone but Allah. The move of pro-Hindutva parties is communally coloured and aims to hurt our sentiments. Besides, it is also against the Constitution," said Abu Azmi, president of the Maharashtra wing of SP.
Azmi, who is the lone MLA of his party in the state assembly, said, "We would first request Mehta to reconsider the decision. If he refuses, the party will approach the court." SP and the Congress had earlier moved amendments to make the controversial exercise optional in schools. Their concerns were rejected.
NCP, too, slammed the move. Party's Mumbai chief Sachin Ahir remarked, "Instead of making Surya Namaskar mandatory for children, they should make it compulsory for ministers. When physical education period already exists in schools, there is no need for Surya Namaskar."
On the other hand, BJP and Sena leaders shifted the blame on SP and other Opposition parties for playing politics. "Surya Namaskar is the name of a Yoga form. It has nothing to do with religion. Since SP has lost its ground, it is deliberately giving the matter a religious colour," said BJP corporator Manoj Kotak.
Apart from politicians, several community leaders also expressed displeasure with the plan. Maulanas held a meeting late on Wednesday night to devise a strategy to tackle the situation. The meet was headed by the All India Ulema Council. Maulana Mehmood Dariyabadi told dna, "We are considering legal recourse."
Meanwhile, advocate Adil Khatri shot off a letter to Mehta on Wednesday, requesting him to junk the plan. He said, "Students will suffer because of the controversy as parents would stop sending them to school. This will jeopardise the government's effort to achieve 100% literacy and implementation of the RTE Act. Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao will also suffer."
Schools were also abuzz after the news came in. Ramesh Joshi, head of the teachers' union of BMC schools, said, "Quality education is the most crucial part of any educational institution. Instead of talking about that, Sena-BJP are creating unnecessary controversy. They are just doing it at the behest of the RSS."
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