Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday (June 21, 2026) said yoga has become the world’s largest community celebration, bringing people together across countries and cultures.

Speaking at the 12th International Day of Yoga celebrations in Kolkata, Mr. Modi said June 21, the longest day on the Earth, is now recognised worldwide as a day of yoga.

International Yoga Day 2026 LIVE

“June 21, which marks the longest day on Earth, has now become the largest community celebration day because of yoga. Yoga brings people together. I congratulate the people of the world on this occasion,” he said.

The Prime Minister also congratulated the people of Kolkata for pursuing the ‘Swachhata Se Swagat’ initiative with dedication.

Referring to this year’s International Day of Yoga theme, ‘Yoga for Healthy Ageing’, Modi said the ancient practice plays a crucial role in promoting physical health, mental well-being and active ageing, thereby improving the quality of life.

“Yoga is not just physical exercise. It is not restricted to any age group. It is an expression of the human spirit,” he said.

Emphasising the importance of healthy ageing, Mr. Modi said efforts must be made to ensure that advancing age does not reduce human potential.

“When we speak of yoga for healthy ageing, we can work to ensure that age does not reduce human potential,” he said.

“Our target is to be more flexible at 40 than we were at 20. We aim to be more energetic at 50 than we were at 30,” he added.

The Prime Minister also said people should not restrict yoga to only particular occasions, and it must be made part of people’s lives.

Senior leaders of the West Bengal unit of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday (March 12, 2026) met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi days ahead of the party’s crucial rally at Kolkata’s Brigade Parade Grounds. Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari and State BJP president Samik Bhattacharya were among the leaders who met the Prime Minister. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP president Nitin Nabin, and party observers to the State were present at the meeting, where a discussion was held on the possible candidates contesting West Bengal was also discussed.

The meeting is scheduled 48 hours before the Prime Minister is set to address a mega rally at Kolkata’s Brigade Parade Grounds on Saturday (March 14, 2026). The rally marks the culmination of the BJP Parivartan Yatra in the State, which traversed across 250 Assembly constituencies in the State over the past two weeks.

“I will be in Assam and West Bengal over the next two days to attend programmes in Kokrajhar, Guwahati, Silchar, and Kolkata. These programmes will present a wonderful opportunity to interact with the people of these States. Various development works will also be inaugurated,” the Prime Minister tweeted.

The rally of the Prime Minister at Kolkata’s Brigade Parade Grounds is a show of strength for the BJP ahead of the West Bengal Assembly polls. The stage at the rally has been modelled on the lines of the famous Kalighat temple in Kolkata. Mr. Modi is also expected to launch a number of developmental initiatives from an administrative event near the venue of political rally.

The meeting between the Prime Minister and senior BJP leaders from the State also comes at a time when the party is likely to announce candidates for the upcoming Assembly polls. Senior party leaders were also present at a meeting of the central election commission to finalise the names of candidates for the Assembly polls. According to party sources, the first set of BJP candidates is likely to be announced in the next few days. There are 294 seats in the West Bengal Assembly and the State is likely to go to polls in the next two months.