NEW DELHI: Union home minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday called terrorists as "gyani" (learned) and suggested that they should do yoga in order to channelize their knowledge towards constructive work in the society.

Speaking at a function organized here to share benefits of yoga, Singh said it helps in comprehensive and integrated development of human personality.

"Knowledge is very dangerous. Those who are involved in terrorist activities, they are also 'gyaani'. They do not lack knowledge. There are many people in terrorism, they have knowledge too. But knowledge should be used in such a way that it becomes helpful to the society, not disastrous. Yoga will do the work of controlling that knowledge," he said.

READ ALSO: World gears up for PM Modi's Yoga Day

Singh, whose ministry is entrusted with the job of ensuring internal security, also asked political parties not to create controversy over International Yoga Day , to be celebrated across the country and abroad on Sunday.

"Yoga connects, not divides. I do not understand why people want to create controversy over yoga. I ask political parties not to do so," he said.

Singh said yoga connects people to people, religion with religion and culture with culture. "Those who oppose it. They should be politely told about yoga. There is no reason to fight with them," the home minister said.

READ ALSO: PM's Yoga Day to begin at 6.40am on Sunday

Singh said yoga generates harmony with nature and not conflict with nature. "Yoga is our culture. We should be proud of it. Our saints have been doing and propagating it for ages. It is our culture and our culture can't be communal," he said.

About 40,000 people are expected to be part of the International Yoga Day celebrations at Rajpath here on Sunday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had in his address to the UN general assembly last year appealed to the international community to choose a day that could be observed as International Yoga Day.

Complete coverage on International Yoga Day

Following Modi's strong pitch, the UN declared June 21 as International Yoga Day.

