Guwahati, Aug 25: Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju and Congress leader Pawan Khera traded barbs on social media on Tuesday after Khera mocked videos of Rijiju swimming in a river in Arunachal Pradesh. Khera questioned why Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi kept featuring in Rijiju’s posts, saying the minister “can’t even go for a half-naked swim without invoking” Gandhi.

In a separate reference to BJP leader Giriraj Singh in the post, Khera said the 74-year-old had been “reduced to calling himself a... ‘new baby born’”.

He ended his post with the Hindi line, “Ye kya haal kar rakha hai aapne inn sab ka Rahul ji?” Rijiju hit back, saying he would report Khera’s “indiscipline conduct” to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma over the “half-naked swimming” remark.

Dear Pawan Khera, I'll report to CM Himanta Biswa Sarma ji about your indiscipline conduct if you talk about half-naked swimming. Do you swim with full suit & coat?

You are a 1st term MP, nominated by your party in Rajya Sabha & I've fought 8 elections so far. co/iUARG6V240— Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) August 25, 2026 He also pointed to their differing political experience, noting that Khera is a first-term Rajya Sabha MP while he had contested eight elections.

Rijiju said he swims with villagers “to inspire my people and followers” and that Gandhi “doesn’t exist in my mind” when he swims. He said he responded only after Congress supporters began comparing his swimming to Gandhi’s.

The exchange followed a series of videos Rijiju shared on Sunday showing him swimming in a river in Arunachal Pradesh. In one post, he joked that Gandhi might need training before attempting to swim in the state’s fast-flowing rivers, writing, “Mein yahan ka khiladi hun” (I am the player here).

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.

co/hJhC0AT3hA— Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) August 24, 2026 In a follow-up post, Rijiju explained that swimming in Arunachal’s rivers required a different technique from swimming in a pool. He said swimmers in fast-flowing waters should keep their heads up and maintain a more upright body position.

Rijiju and Gandhi have previously spoken about fitness and martial arts. Their exchanges have included a conversation in Parliament in December last year and a jiu-jitsu challenge raised by Gandhi during the Budget session in February.