During an interaction with municipality leaders in Kolkata, West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed concern about the health of one such leader. ‘Why is your tummy getting so big? Do you not exercise?’, Banerjee interrupted the leader. To which he replied, ‘My sugar and blood pressure levels are all right. I am not on any medication’.

Banerjee was unconvinced and enquired about his diet. The man admitted to breakfasting on fried food. Visibly surprised by this revelation, the chief minister said, ‘How can you eat fried things? You will never reduce your weight!’ Not one to be deterred by the chief minister’s scolding, the man promptly replied that he exercises for an hour and half everyday.

Banerjee did not back down either. She asked him to demonstrate the exercises he performs. The leader proceeded to demonstrate a few Pranayama moves. ‘Pranayama does not help reduce weight’, she said to him.

Flustered by the chief minister’s response, the leader said he performs a thousand moves of Pranayama everyday. Banerjee at this point asked him to do a complete set on stage and even promised to give him Rs 10,000 if he did. The man refused by saying that Pranayama should only be performed early in the morning or after sunset.

‘Impossible! No way do you exercise daily. If you did, you would not have this massive belly’, remarked Banerjee.