Samajwadi Party's counter to Modi's yoga: Cycle for health

LUCKNOW: The Samajwadi Party took out cycle rallies across Uttar Pradesh early Wednesday morning in an apparent attempt to counter the BJP's pitch for yoga. The highlight of the event was a cycle rally led by SP general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav in Etawah. Cycle is the election symbol of the SP. Though the timing of the cycle yatra clashed with that of the yoga events organized by the government across the state, SP national president Akhilesh Yadav had asked party workers to perform yoga or "any other exercise as per their convenience" thereafter.The cycle yatra had to begin at 6am - the time for the yoga show announced by the government. With the cycle yatra schedule coinciding with the BJP's plan in Lucknow in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated, the SP move is seen as the party's answer to counter the Centre and the state government's push for yoga."We have received reports from across the state that cycle yatras were held at all district headquarters to spread the message of environment conservation and health awareness," SP spokesman Rajendra Chowdhury told TOI. "Cycling is a good exercise and it is pollution free," he added.In Lucknow, the cycle yatra was led MLC Sunil Singh Sajan, while former ministers - Arvind Singh Gope, Pawan Pandey and Vinod Singh - led the shows in Barabanki, Faizabad and Gonda. Several former ministers took part in the rallies in Jhansi, Varanasi, Gorakhpur, Unnao and Hardoi.