‘Do you swim with full suit and coat?’: Kiren Rijiju threatens to report Pawan Khera to Himanta
Kiren Rijiju hit back at Pawan Khera after the Congress leader mocked his Arunachal river swim video. Their exchange widened the fitness-themed sparring around Rahul Gandhi and prompted Rijiju to defend the clip.
- Aug 25, 2026,
- Updated Aug 25, 2026, 5:13 PM IST
- Khera said the video showed Rahul Gandhi had rattled BJP leaders
- Rijiju called the half-naked reference indecent and questioned Khera's parliamentary conduct
- The minister said he often swims with villagers to inspire followers
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju on Monday hit back at Congress leader Pawan Khera after Khera took a swipe at him over a video showing him swimming in a river in Arunachal Pradesh.
Khera had posted on X that Rijiju’s swimming video showed how “badly Rahul Gandhi” had got under the BJP’s skin. Referring to the video, he wrote that Rijiju “can’t even go for a half-naked swim without invoking Rahul Gandhi”.
Rijiju responded on August 25, accusing Khera of making an “indecent comment” and questioning his conduct as a parliamentarian.
“Dear Pawan Khera, I'll report to CM Himanta Biswa Sarma about your indiscipline conduct if you talk about half-naked swimming,” Rijiju wrote on X.
Rijiju also defended his decision to swim in the river, saying he often does so with people from his village.
“I swim with my villagers to inspire my people and followers,” he said.
He further rejected the suggestion that his swimming video was prompted by Rahul Gandhi.
“Rahul doesn't exist in my mind when I'm with my people,” Rijiju said, adding that Congress workers had begun comparing his swimming to Gandhi’s.
Rijiju said his earlier remarks about Gandhi were made only in response to those comparisons. He added that he did not undergo formal training for such activities and described himself as a “natural khiladi” in Arunachal Pradesh’s rivers.
The exchange followed a video posted by Rijiju on Sunday showing him swimming in a river in Arunachal Pradesh. He had said navigating the state’s fast-flowing rivers was part of his life from childhood.
The minister had also warned people against entering deep water without knowing how to swim, pointing out that several people had drowned in Arunachal’s rivers.
The latest exchange adds another episode to the ongoing fitness-related banter between Rijiju and Gandhi, which has previously included discussions about exercise and jiu-jitsu.
