New Delhi, Jun 9 (IANS): The Congress on Monday targeted the Narendra Modi government over publicity surrounding the International Yoga Day, saying participation in yoga events should not be made mandatory.

Congress spokesperson Shobha Oza compared the publicity being given by the government to the Yoga Day on June 21 to publicity by Nestle India to its product Maggi, which has been banned in several states following lab reports that its samples contained more than the permissible quantity of lead.

"A yoga day has been declared. The way it is being publicised, it is the same as Nestle had attempted to publicise Maggi," she said.

Oza alleged that Nestle had spent far greater amount on publicising Maggi, compared to the money it had spent on quality control.

"In the same way, the government is spending a lot on publicity as our prime minister is a good event manager," she said.

Responding to queries about opposition to the Yoga Day by some groups, she said any such programme should not be made mandatory.

"It should be left to every community and every individual. We are seeing that the government is somewhere acting in arbitrary way. Somewhere, a dictatorial attitude is visible," she said.

Nestle said last week it was withdrawing Maggi noodles in the country amid nationwide scrutiny over more-than-permissible levels of lead, but continued to maintain that the snack was safe and that it would be back on store shelves soon.