The war of words between Congress and Union parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju has taken a new turn, with the Kerala Congress taking a dig at the BJP leader over what it described as a “stunt”, prompting Rijiju to hit back.
Congress appeared to sarcastically ask Rijiju not to “risk his real life” for a reel or a stunt, and asked him to teach his dive to home minister Amit Shah and the central Cabinet.
Taking to X, the party said, "Dear Stunt Master @KirenRijiju No reel is worth risking your real life. No stunt, selfie or social-media moment is worth putting yourself in danger. Modiji may care only about reels, but you must care about your life.
"That frog-style dive, however, deserves a wider audience. Please teach it to @AmitShah and the rest of the Cabinet. The nation should not be deprived of such collective talent," it added.
Also Read | ‘Mai yahan ka khiladi hun’: Kiren Rijiju hits back at comparison with Rahul Gandhi over fitness
Rijiju's response to Congress
{{/usCountry}}Also Read | ‘Mai yahan ka khiladi hun’: Kiren Rijiju hits back at comparison with Rahul Gandhi over fitness
Rijiju's response to Congress
{{/usCountry}}Kiren Rijiju responded to Congress' “stunt” remarks by defending his swimming technique, saying that swimming in the gushing rivers of Arunachal Pradesh is different from that in pools or regular rivers.
He also spelled out some swimming techniques in a post on X, saying that navigating through “toughest rivers” is a “child's play” for him.
"Some congressmen are trolling me on my swimming techniques! They think that swimming in gushing rivers of Arunachal Pradesh is like swimming in pools or simple rivers. In raging rivers, our head should be up, not down as those swimming coaches tell & our body should be more upright, not flat as we do in normal swimming. Negotiating in toughest rivers is a child's play for me since childhood. Inko pata nahi hai, "Mein yahan ka khiladi hun" 💪," Rijiju wrote in his post.
Rijiju's plunge and Rahul's response
Earlier, Rijiju had shared videos of himself taking a plunge into the gushing waters of a river in Arunachal Pradesh. Responding to netizen's comparison of him and Rahul Gandhi, he said the Congress leader may need training for such activities, while for him, it was part of his routine.
"Mein yahan ka khiladi hun (I am the player here)," Rijiju had said in a post on X on Sunday.
Also Read | ‘Should we praise this brutality?’ Rahul Gandhi slams CJP stir remark by Kiren Rijiju
Rijiju and Rahul's jibes
The exchange is the latest in a series of good-humoured jibes between the two political rivals over fitness and physical activities, including a conversation in Parliament last year and a jiu-jitsu challenge from Gandhi earlier this year.
"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 (adventures)," Rijiju wrote, while posting a video of himself swimming in a river in Arunachal Pradesh.
"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," he wrote.
Rijiju also shared another video explaining why swimming in the rivers of Arunachal Pradesh is different from swimming in a pool or calmer waters.
"Some people might think swimming in gushing rivers of Arunachal Pradesh is like swimming in pools or rivers like Yamuna. In raging rivers, our head should be up, not down & body should be more upright, not straight as we keep in swimming competition. Mein yahan ka khiladi hun," he said.
In December last year, Rijiju posted a video on Instagram showing a conversation with Gandhi in Parliament.
"Not talking politics, only fitness. I hope he will promote #FitIndiaMovement," the minister had said.
During the conversation, Gandhi reportedly asked Rijiju about his exercise routine and invited him to work out with him. Their discussion also touched on martial arts, with Gandhi suggesting that the two train together, according to a report by ANI.