New Delhi, Jun 19 (IANS): The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has planned major events across Jammu and Kashmir on International Yoga Day (IYD) observed on June 21 every year, to further expand its base in the Union Territory (UT), including the valley.

The saffron party will organise a yoga programme in Jammu and Kashmir. The BJP has decided to use the opportunity to create awareness to reduce vaccine hesitancy among the people.

Jammu and Kashmir BJP Co-incharge, Ashish Sood, told IANS that IYD programmes will be held at the polling booth level across Jammu and Kashmir and senior party leaders will participate. He said that like the other flagship programmes of the Narendra Modi government, the BJP has planned to promote Yoga Day in Jammu and Kashmir by organising events at the booth level.

"Several events and awareness programmes highlighting the welfare schemes of the Modi government have been held in Jammu and Kashmir. This year for the first time, the BJP will be organising an International Yoga Day programme across Jammu and Kashmir, including Srinagar, Baramulla, Ganderbal and other parts of the UT," Sood said.

The saffron party believes that such events involving public participation will give a boost to its expansion in the valley. "For the first time a BJP member won District Development Council (DDC) polls in the valley and continuously worked to win people's support with the welfare schemes of the Modi government," Sood added.

BJP workers and leaders will do yoga with the people and explain to them about the benefits of yoga, especially in the time of a pandemic.

The party workers will celebrate IYD with people at the majority of booths or where the BJP has already appointed booth level workers.

"Our workers and leaders will do yoga with the residents of that particular polling booth," Sood said. A party leader said out of more than 10,000 polling booths in Jammu and Kashmir, the BJP has appointed workers at the majority of the booths.

Sood said the BJP workers will also use Yoga Day as an opportunity to create awareness about Covid vaccination. "On June 21, the Union government is also launching free vaccines for everyone above 18 years and the BJP workers, including me, will use yoga day events to create awareness to reduce vaccine hesitancy among people," he added.