Bhopal, Aug 28 - The Madhya Pradesh High Court in an interim order Friday directed the state government not to force educational institutions to conduct the yoga exercise suraya namaskar, or salutation to the sun.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state government had two years ago made 'surya namaskar' compulsory in schools and colleges - which the minorities, Christians and Muslims, protested as an attempt to impose Hindu rituals on students of minority communities.

The Catholic Church went to the Madhya Pradesh High Court bringing to its notice that the order of the state government violates Section 25 to 30 of the Fundamental Rights of the Constitution under which the minority institutions are governed.

Advocate Rajesh Chand who appeared for the Catholic Church on behalf of Fr. Anand Muttungal (church spokesman) also pointed out that the order was against the interim order of the high court in the same matter in 2007.