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Union Minister Giriraj Singh has taken a sharp swipe at Congress Rajya Sabha MP Pawan Khera over his remarks targeting Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, escalating a political exchange that began with a video of Rijiju swimming in a river in Arunachal Pradesh.

Reacting to Khera’s post on X, and making a reference to Pakistan founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Singh wrote, “Can someone tell me whether this Jinnah-sized specimen has gotten a rabies vaccine or not?"

कोई बता सकता है कि जिन्ना के आकार के इस नमूने ने रेबीज़ का टीका लगवाया है या नहीं? https://t.co/cHFeYRXyqu— Giriraj Singh (@girirajsinghbjp) August 25, 2026

The BJP leader’s remark came after Khera had targeted both Rijiju and Singh in an X post while commenting on the controversy surrounding Rijiju’s swimming video.

Khera had written, “Imagine how badly Rahul Ji has gotten under the BJP’s skin."

He went on to take a dig at Rijiju over the Union Minister’s responses to comparisons between his swimming technique and that of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

“On one hand, Kiren Rijiju can’t even go for a half-naked swim without invoking Rahul Gandhi," Khera wrote.

He then turned his attention to Singh, referring to the BJP leader as a “senior citizen" and mocking his description of himself as a 74-year-old “new baby born".

Khera concluded the post by asking, “Ye kya haal kar rakha hai aapne inn sab ka Rahul ji?"

The exchange traces back to August 23, when Rijiju posted a video of himself swimming in a river in Arunachal Pradesh.

The video subsequently prompted comparisons with Rahul Gandhi, who has often spoken about swimming as part of his fitness routine.

Rijiju responded to the comparisons by stressing the difference between swimming in a pool and navigating Arunachal Pradesh’s rivers.

Rijiju said swimming in the state’s “raging rivers" required keeping the head up and the body more upright.

He also described himself as a local player, repeatedly using the phrase “Main yahan ka khiladi hun" (I am a player here), while responding to those mocking his swimming technique.

Rijiju had also said that Gandhi might require training to negotiate Arunachal’s rivers, while doing so was “child’s play" for him.

Khera entered the debate on Tuesday, accusing Rijiju of invoking Gandhi even while responding to criticism of his swimming.

Rijiju objected to Khera’s reference to “half-naked swimming" and said the Congress leader’s remarks were indecent.

“You are a 1st-term MP, nominated by your party in Rajya Sabha & I’ve fought 8 elections so far. That doesn’t give you the right to make indecent comments," Rijiju wrote.

He explained that he swims with villagers to inspire his people and followers and asserted that Rahul Gandhi was not on his mind when he was with them.

Rijiju further said Congress leaders had themselves started comparing his swimming with Gandhi’s, prompting him to respond.

“I’m a natural khiladi in our mighty rivers. Don’t be abusive needlessly all the time," he added.

Khera subsequently replied: “Brother Kiren Rijiju, get well soon!"

The exchange also drew a response from BJP national general secretary (organisation) BL Santosh, who suggested that Rijiju should not spend his time trying to convince his critics.

Santosh wrote that some leaders had adopted a practice of hiring influencers, providing them text and seeking endorsements, adding that Rijiju did not need to “spoil" his time trying to convince people who had already made up their minds.

The initial swimming video controversy began when Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju posted a video of himself swimming in a river in Arunachal Pradesh. He then made remarks comparing his swimming ability to that of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, suggesting Gandhi might need training for such activities.