Every year on June 21, International Yoga Day is celebrated in India; every year on June 21, cyber-sleuths hunt down the politician who aced the “who’s first in yoga(aka political) flexibility?”

In politics, politicians are used to taking on rivals in speeches, rallies and television debates. But on International Yoga Day, they face a far more formidable opponent: their own hamstrings.

They don their white kurtas, T-shirts, roll out their colour-coded yoga mats and stretch their limbs, pretending that touching their toes is an everyday activity that they indulge in.

While yoga is all about balance, harmony and peace, politicians trying to hold on to their position look absolutely nothing like balance, peace or harmony.

Bihar Health Minister Nishant Kumar, left, and others perform yoga during a session on the International Day of Yoga, at Patliputra Sports Complex, in Patna, Bihar, Sunday, June 21, 2026.(All images by PTI)

Take Bihar health minister Nishant Kumar, whose Yoga Day performance has left users stranded in the middle of disbelief and intrigue. One arm pointed skyward, the body dramatically tilted, he looked less like a yoga practitioner and more like a man desperately trying to keep himself awake.

Obviously, people had questions: Was it a stretch? Was it a side-bend? One internet user had the answer: “That’s aeroplane yoga” (We say that pose was more of an antenna trying to find its lost connection)

The photograph turned even better because the Janata Dal (United) on Sunday resolved to assign a "big role" to this ‘aeroplane yoga’ master, just months after him joining the party.

Senior leader and Bihar minister Sunil Kumar said, “The party has unanimously resolved that Nishant is our leader of the future. He is already an active member of the party, and it was unanimously resolved that he be assigned a big role.” (Was that yoga pose meant to find the direction towards which his political career would go?)

Then entered Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, whose squatting position last year had achieved meme immortality among users.

In theory, yoga is meant to showcase strength, stability and balance, but in reality, we are still trying to figure out which yoga manual Fadnavis follows while doing his postures.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis performs yoga during a session on the occasion of the International Day of Yoga, in Mumbai, Sunday, June 21, 2026.

His yoga posture could convey only one message- “I am becoming friends with gravity.” Leaning forward with laser-focus and arms locked in place, he looked less like a yoga participant and more like someone trying to supervise the laws of physics.

“Last year Devendra Fadnavis's yoga looked exactly like his politics: half-baked, stiff, and desperately trying to hold a pose while everything around him squats in commitment,” one user wrote, adding, “So this year he stuck to shavasan”

Not to be outdone, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman's pose gave off the unmistakable energy of a kung fu master moments before delivering the final move.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman performs yoga during a session on the occasion of the International Day of Yoga, in Guwahati, Sunday, June 21, 2026.

With arms stretched upward and a complete look that did not lack a cent of concentration, she was ready to channel her ancient power that might just make her a favourite in the next fiscal year’s budget (but for whom, time will tell).

Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s yoga pose with hands raised and a stern look could be deciphered by cyber samurais in only one way- “I am done.”

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan performs yoga on the occasion of International Yoga Day, in New Delhi on June 21, 2026.

While to the rest of the world it might look like a normal yoga pose, to the lakhs of students who are sitting for their NEET retest exam on Yoga day, it’s a universal sign for surrender. With raised arms, he seemed to capture the mood: “No more surprises, please.”

The internet saw what we mere humans missed: a man waving a white flag at the NEET crisis.

From right, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, Yoga guru Baba Ramdev and Patanjali Ayurved Managing Director Acharya Balkrishna perform yoga during the International Day of Yoga celebrations, in Vijayawada on June 21, 2026.

Andhra Pradesh chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, Baba Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna may have been performing the same yoga stretch, but the photograph suggested three entirely different storylines.

Ramdev looked like a yoga guru demonstrating perfect form; Naidu appeared to be a man trying to figure out why his head was protesting against the minor stretch.