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Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju has taken a swipe at Rahul Gandhi over the Congress leader’s fitness activities, saying that while some may need training for adventurous pursuits, such activities have been part of his life since childhood. Rijiju made the remarks after sharing videos of himself swimming in the deep, fast-flowing rivers of Arunachal Pradesh, adding a competitive edge to the ongoing fitness conversation around Gandhi.

‘Child’s Play’ For Rijiju

In his remarks, Rijiju said some people believed he was trying to emulate Gandhi through his fitness activities.

“Many people are saying that I'm also doing like Rahul Gandhi,” Rijiju said.

He added that Gandhi might need training for such activities, but described them as routine for himself.

Many people are saying that I'm also doing like Rahul Gandhi. Rahul ji may take training for such activities but it's normal routine in my life. I don't take training as these are child's play for me since childhood. My life is full of adventurous.
Mein yahan ka khiladi hun 💪 https://t.co/hJhC0AT3hA pic.twitter.com/fvDaGKgr3W

— Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) August 23, 2026

“Rahul ji may take training for such activities but it's normal routine in my life. I don't take training as these are child's play for me since childhood. My life is full of adventurous,” he said.

Rijiju ended with a pointed line: “Mein yahan ka khiladi hun.”

River Dive Adds To Exchange

Before making the remarks, Rijiju posted a video of himself diving into a river in Arunachal Pradesh.

Alongside the video, he cautioned people against entering deep water without knowing how to swim, highlighting the risks posed by the region’s large and deep rivers.

Never go to deep water, if you do not know swimming. Many people have drowned in the river. The rivers in Arunachal Pradesh are huge and very deep. pic.twitter.com/ITrb8S3MzN

— Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) August 23, 2026

Rijiju later explained that swimming in Arunachal Pradesh’s powerful rivers is very different from swimming in a pool or in calmer waterways.

He said swimmers in such conditions should keep their heads above the water and maintain a more upright body position rather than adopting the straight posture commonly used in competitive swimming.

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How It Started

The exchange comes after Gandhi spoke about his fitness routine during an Instagram 'Ask Me Anything' session with students and Gen Z.

Gandhi had invited young people to ask him questions about his personal life, interests and experiences, promising to answer as many as possible.

During the interaction, he also discussed the range of exercises he uses to remain fit at the age of 56.

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