Now Reading: Rijiju and Khera spar over ‘half-naked’ swim jibe
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Rijiju and Khera spar over ‘half-naked’ swim jibe
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju and Congress MP 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…
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju and Congress MP 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 Rahul Gandhi kept featuring in Rijiju's posts, saying the minister 'cannot even go for a half-naked swim without invoking' Gandhi. Rijiju hit back, saying he would report Khera's 'indiscipline conduct' to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma over the 'half-naked swimming' remark.
Rijiju also pointed to their differing political experience, noting Khera is a first-term Rajya Sabha MP while he had contested eight elections. He said he swims with villagers to inspire them and that Gandhi 'does not exist in my mind' when he swims. Describing himself as a natural athlete in the rivers, Rijiju urged Khera not to be abusive. Khera responded by telling Rijiju to 'get well soon'. The exchange follows Rijiju's earlier posts where he joked Gandhi might need training before swimming in Arunachal's fast-flowing rivers.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Both ABP Live and The Assam Tribune report the exchange as a straight factual account of the social media spat. ABP Live frames Rijiju's response first, emphasising his warning to Khera and his electoral record. The Assam Tribune adds more context, noting Rijiju's earlier posts comparing swimming techniques and past exchanges with Rahul Gandhi. Neither outlet adopts a government-critical or pro-government stance, both present the comments neutrally. The key difference is depth: ABP Live stays on the direct barbs, while The Assam Tribune includes the background of fitness and martial arts discussions between Rijiju and Gandhi. The next point to watch is whether Khera or Rijiju posts again.
Coverage: 2 sources, 2 neutral
Sources (2): news.abplive.com (neutral report), assamtribune.com (neutral report)
This brief was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
