Lucknow, May 23 (IANS) Vice President Hamid Ansari's wife Salma Ansari on Monday endorsed chanting of 'Om' during International Yoga Day on June 21 and criticised those who have been opposing it.
Slamming the groups that are opposing the chanting, Salma Ansari, who was in Aligarh for an event, said the chant is useful as it increases oxygen in the body. She further said the opposition to 'Om' was petty and wrong.
"Even I practise yoga and find it very useful to improve my health," Ansari told reporters on the sidelines of the event.
Ansari added that she has successfully overcome several ailments by practising yoga, and exhorted the people to follow those practices that benefit health.
Ansari later honoured students of the Madarsa Al-Noor in Aligarh.
Some Muslim organisations had protested against the reported move by the Union government to make chanting of 'Om' mandatory on International Yoga Day.
However, Union Urban Development Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu had clarified that chanting of 'Om' was not compulsory.
