Child's play for me, Rahul may need training: Rijiju on swimming in Arunachal rivers

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi frequently mentions swimming as part of his fitness regimen. However, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju thinks the Leader of Opposition may require some training before attempting to swim in the turbulent rivers of Arunachal Pradesh. Mr. Rijiju declared on X on August 23, 2026, "Mein yahan ka khiladi hun [I am the player here]."

These remarks follow a series of lighthearted fitness exchanges between the two rivals, including a conversation in Parliament last year and a jiu-jitsu challenge from Mr. Gandhi earlier this year. Rijiju humorously stated, "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 adventures." He posted a video of himself swimming in a river in Arunachal Pradesh and cautioned against venturing into deep water without proper swimming skills, as many people have drowned in these rivers. Rijiju further explained the differences between swimming in Arunachal's gushing rivers and pools or calmer waters, emphasizing the importance of keeping the head up and maintaining an upright body posture.

When others compared Mr. Gandhi's swimming to that in pools or the Yamuna river, Rijiju responded by citing his own Arunachal childhood. In December last year, Rijiju posted a video of a conversation with Gandhi in Parliament, where Gandhi asked about the minister's fitness routine and invited a workout session. The two also briefly discussed martial arts, with Gandhi suggesting they train together.

Gandhi had previously quoted a conversation with Rijiju during the Budget session in February, where he mentioned Rijiju's jiu-jitsu practice to make a political point about establishing a grip, moving to a choke, and forcing an opponent to tap. Their exchanges continued in June after Rijiju wished Gandhi on his 56th birthday, with Rijiju inquiring about a jiu-jitsu session.