In a bid to make India fitter, Union Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore on Wednesday started a fitness challenge – ‘Hum Fit Toh India Fit’. Rathore passed on the challenge to team India skipper Virat Kohli and actor Hrithik Roshan who also posted their videos on social media. “Whenever I see the prime minister, I get inspired…He wants all of India to be fit,” Rathore said in the video, before starting with a round of push-ups. “Post pictures and videos of how you keep yourself fit and send a #FitnessChallenge to your friends on social media,” he tweeted.
Within three days, the challenge has gone viral with many celebrities and political leaders like Sania Mirza, Saina Nehwal, Anushka Sharma, Jayant Sinha, Kiren Rijiju, among others taking it up and even Prime Minister Narendra Modi promising to share a video of the same.
So as India takes up the fitness challenge, here are 5 politicians who give us serious fitness goals:
1. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore
A former Olympian and now a Union Minister, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore keeps himself fit even after leaving the shooting range. His love towards fitness became public when Union Minister Kiren Rijiju shared a video of two working out in the gym.
#HumFitTohIndiaFit ????????????
Post pictures and videos of how you keep yourself fit and send a #FitnessChallenge to your friends on social media. Here’s my video ????and I challenge @iHrithik, @imVkohli & @NSaina to join in???? pic.twitter.com/pYhRY1lNEm
— Rajyavardhan Rathore (@Ra_THORe) May 22, 2018
While doing duty we’ve no time for physical fitness. But my Olympian colleague @Ra_THORe manages some time & gives me a tough challenge???? pic.twitter.com/ZKDAa2B96F
— Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) April 19, 2017
It was Rathore who started the fitness challenge by posting a video of him doing push-ups in his office.
2. Kiren Rijiju
Rathore’s partner in crime, Rijiju is incredibly fit for a politician of his age. The 46-year-old Minister of State for Home Affairs of India, Kiren Rijiju, has shared multiple workout videos in his past where he was seen acing various fitness stunts.
I’m humbled as large numbers of youths met me to say they are motivated! They pledged to take out time for fitness & do good for the country. Say no to drugs???? pic.twitter.com/MfhnHOz3pr
— Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) November 22, 2017
Young friends, stay away frm drugs, be fit. Let’s build @narendramodi ji’s #NewIndia dream. I took out 30 mins frm work 2 respond @Ra_THORe pic.twitter.com/fkWQ8UdmRC
— Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) April 20, 2017
Rijiju took up the fitness challenge at his office with a somewhat improvised exercise on a chair. “Fabulous campaign by Sports Minister @Ra_THORe on #HumFitTohIndiaFit I accept #FitnessChallenge of @jayantsinha???? Here’s my video & I challenge SMART CM @PemaKhanduBJP SUPERSTAR ACTOR @BeingSalmanKhan SUPERFIT ACTOR @saumyatandon,” he posted on Twitter.
3. Narendra Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi may not be hitting the gym as regularly as two of his Cabinet ministers mentioned above but has his own way of staying fit. He has also been speaking about the importance of staying fit and even came up with the idea of an International Yoga Day which is being celebrated on June 21 for last four years now.
Even when Virat Kohli tagged PM Modi for the fitness challenge, the prime minister accepted it and promised that he would soon be sharing a video of the same.
4. Rahul Gandhi
Congress president Rahul Gandhi who has been the torchbearer of the youth in India for a long time now, revealed last year that he is a black belt in Aikido – a form of martial arts. “I am a black belt in Aikido – have you heard of it? But I don’t talk about it publicly. I do one hour of sports every day, though I admit I haven’t been doing much in the past three-four months,” Gandhi said at an event in reply to a question asked by boxer Vijender Singh.
To prove his claim right, a few days later, Rahul Gandhi shared a few images on Twitter where the 47-year-old was seen doing various Aikido positions with a Sensei, Paritos Kar.
5.Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo
Unlike any of the names mentioned above, there are no videos of Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo doing exercise are available on the internet but the 43-year-old Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader is arguably one of the fittest Indian politicians.
