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By Correspondents/ Kolkata / New Delhi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lead the 12th International Yoga Day celebrations in West Bengal on June 21, marking his first participation in the state since the BJP came to power there.
At a press, Chief Minister Shri Suvendu Adhikari said that it is a matter of immense pride for West Bengal to host the national celebrations of the International Day of Yoga 2026 in Kolkata. He also described Kolkata as a city known for its rich cultural, spiritual and intellectual heritage, which continues to uphold the values of wellness and collective well-being.
Members of the public, youth and government officials will take part in a 2-km community run in each block, with every run concluding in a collective meditation and yoga session.
The drone show on the evening of June 20 will feature approximately 3,000 drones flying over the Hooghly, according to the state government’s event brief shared with News18. Formations will depict river imagery, the lotus and themes from yoga philosophy, with aerial tributes to five yoga gurus, imagery from the Prime Minister’s global yoga promotion campaign, and the “Yoga Puja” logo projected in the sky. The show will be visible from both Millennium Park and Prinsep Ghat.
However, ahead of the event, the arrangements have triggered a political controversy over huge expenditure on diesel for transporting participants by boats and launches.
According to the programme schedule, the celebrations will begin on June 20 with West Bengal Day events, including a carnival, drone show and floating cultural programmes along the Hooghly River. On June 21, the Prime Minister will lead the main Yoga Day event, with the Common Yoga Protocol to be performed simultaneously at multiple venues, including on the Hooghly.
The controversy stems from reports in the local Bengali Daily claiming that nearly 4 lakh litres of diesel, worth around ₹4 crore, will be consumed by more than 500 boats and launches deployed to ferry participants, mainly from the Sundarbans region. Opposition parties have questioned the expenditure, pointing out that Prime Minister Modi had recently urged citizens to conserve fuel, avoid unnecessary travel and reduce expenses.