The Supreme Court has refused to hear a PIL, seeking directions to the Centre to develop standard yoga protocols to enhance COVID resistance. The plea said that this should be in addition to customized yoga protocols to control most common diseases like diabetes, fever, infections and cardiovascular, respiratory and digestive diseases.
A three judge bench headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan, Justice R. Subhash Reddy and Justice M. R. Shah has said, “After making submissions for some time, learned counsel for the petitioner seeks permission to withdraw the petition to enable him to approach the competent authorities.”
With the SC’s refusal, the petitioner withdrew the PIL, with liberty to submit a representation to the Ministry of AYUSH, the Ministry of HRD and the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting.
The petition was filed by BJP spokesperson and Advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay. In it he described the benefits of yoga, saying: “Yoga is a science that connects non-body through body postures, controlled breathing & meditation. It develops scientific temper, humanism and spirit of enquiry & reform.”
The petitioner highlighted the need for this yoga protocol and said: “The injury caused to the public is very large because the COVID pandemic is spreading rapidly and no vaccine or medicine has been discovered till date. Experts say that regular yoga can protect people from COVID, but AYUSH ministry has failed to develop a standard yoga protocol to resist COVID.”
The petitioner had urged:
“Keeping in view the alarming cases of COVID pandemic, to the apex court to issue a writ/order/direction or writ in the nature of mandamus to:
a) Direct the Ministry of AYUSH to develop standard Yoga protocol to enhance COVID resistance, in addition to customized Yoga Protocols to control most common diseases like diabetes, fever, infections and cardiovascular, respiratory and digestive diseases;
b) Direct the ministry of information and broadcasting to take steps to broadcast COVID Yoga protocols as well as other customized Yoga Protocols in order to strengthen body immune system and overall development of mind and body, morning and evening everyday;
c) Direct the ministry of HRD to develop a standard textbooks on ‘Environment, Health and Yoga Science’ for students of I-VIII standard and make its study compulsory throughout the Country;
d) Direct the ministry of AYUSH to frame a ‘National Yoga Policy’ to promote and propagate Yoga Science in order to make people fully aware about health-hazards, health-hygiene and health safety.
Order attached here;
14028-2020-35-15-23078-Order-23-Jul-2020– India Legal Bureau