Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday accepted a fitness challenge by cricketer Virat Kohli saying that he will soon post a personal fitness video. Earlier on Wednesday, Kohli, in a tweet, challenged Modi in a fitness campaign initiated by Information and Broadcasting Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore on social media.
"Challenge accepted, Virat! I will be sharing my own #FitnessChallenge video soon," Modi tweeted on the initiative called the 'Hum Fit Toh India Fit' challenge.
On Wednesday, Kohli, who posed for his fitness video in a gym, tweeted: "I have accepted the #FitnessChallenge by @ra_THORe (Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore) sir. Now I would like to challenge my wife @AnushkaSharma , our PM @narendramodi ji and @msdhoni Bhai for the same. #HumFitTohIndiaFit #ComeOutAndPlay." Earlier, the Olympian shooter Rathore initiated an online fitness campaign and posted his exercise regime on the social media.
He further challenged Bollywood star Hrithik Roshan, cricketer Virat Kohli and badminton player Saina Nehwal to post their respective fitness mantras on the social media.
So far, Kohli, Amitabh Bachchan, PM Modi, Hrithik Roshan, Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju, and Union Finance Minister Piyush Goyal have taken up the challenge and posted messages and videos supporting the cause.
Politicians to actors and sportsmen reacted to Rathore's fitness campaign in their own style. Take a look at how Congress, Sania Nehwal, others responded:
Rathore does push-ups to spread fitness message: Rathore made a pitch for exercise on Twitter and urged netizens to share pictures and videos on the site to show how they kept fit.
"Whenever I see the prime minister, I get inspired...He wants all of India to be fit," Rathore said in the video.
"Post pictures and videos of how you keep yourself fit and send a #FitnessChallenge to your friends on social media," he tweeted.
#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
Amitabh Bachchan accepted Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore's fitness challenge: The 75-year-old actor took to Twitter to accept the challenge.
"@Ra_THORe we accept the challenge of #HumFitTohIndiaFit #FitnessChallenge... Main mantra: BE CONTINUOUSLY MOBILE...
"Get up for every errand yourself, gym each day, push away that excess morsel of temptation, drive or cycle yourself, see the sun more often," Bachchan wrote, describing his fitness routine.
T 2816 - - @Ra_THORe we accept the challenge of #HumFitTohIndiaFit #FitnessChallenge .. main mantra : BE CONTINUOUSLY MOBILE .. get up for every errand yourself, gym each day, push away that excess morsel of temptation, drive or cycle yourself, see the Sun more often ! pic.twitter.com/4SQ2jRiSuy
— Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) May 24, 2018
Anushka Sharma takes up Virat Kohli's fitness challenge: While accepting the challenge, Anushka tagged her friends Varun Dhawan and Dipika Pallikal for the same. Anushka posted, "I accept your challenge @imVKohli. Here's my video for the #HumFitTohIndiaFit #FitnessChallenge. I'd like to nominate my friends, @DipikaPallikal and @Varun_dvn. Great initiative @Ra_THORe sir! #ComeOutAndPlay".
I accept your challenge @imVKohli. Here’s my video for the #HumFitTohIndiaFit #FitnessChallenge. I’d like to nominate my friends, @DipikaPallikal and @Varun_dvn Great initiative @Ra_THORe sir! #ComeOutAndPlay pic.twitter.com/SmdmkArT6U
— Anushka Sharma (@AnushkaSharma) May 24, 2018
Rahul dares PM for 'Fuel Challenge': As Narendra Modi accepted an online fitness challenge from Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli, Congress president Rahul Gandhi was quick to dare the prime minister for a "fuel challenge", asking him to reduce the spiralling fuel prices in the country or face a nationwide stir by his party.
"Dear PM, Glad to see you accept the @imVkohli fitness challenge. Here's one from me: Reduce fuel prices or the Congress will do a nationwide agitation and force you to do so. I look forward to your response," Gandhi wrote on Twitter using the hashtag 'FuelChallenge'.
Dear PM,
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) May 24, 2018
Glad to see you accept the @imVkohli fitness challenge. Here’s one from me:
Reduce Fuel prices or the Congress will do a nationwide agitation and force you to do so.
I look forward to your response.#FuelChallenge
Randeep Surjewala poses several challenges before Modi: Congress communications in-charge Randeep Surjewala also took a dig at Modi for remaining "silent" on the rising fuel prices, and posed a 'challenge' to him to utilise the Rs 10 lakh crore "looted" through central excise on petrol and diesel, for helping reduce the fuel prices and restore the "economic fitness" of the common man.
"Modiji is 'Maun' as fuel prices increase for 11th day in a row. His Union Minister threatens - if fuel prices fall, so will welfare spending. Will PM Modi accept the Nation's challenge to utilise the 10 lakh crore looted through central excise in 4 years to reduce fuel prices?
"Dear PM, Please accept the #FitnessChallenge to Restore the economic fitness of common man by reducing the runaway prices of Petrol/Diesel as you fleeced Rs 10 lakh crore in 4 years by raising excise 11 times," he said in a series of tweets.
"Also, restore the 'job fitness' of young by giving 2 crore jobs as promised," he said.
Surjewala also challenged the prime minister to grant remunerative prices to farmers for their produce and bring back the Rs 80 lakh crore black money stashed abroad.
He also dared him for a "national security fitness" by stopping Pakistan-sponsored terrorism and Chinese incursion in Dokalam, and accept the "governance challenge".
"Dear PM, Pl accept the #FitnessChallenge to Grant 'MSP Fitness' of Cost+50% Profit to India's farmers as you promised...'Anti Corruption fitness' by bringing back Rs 80 lakh crore of black money from abroad as you promised and punishing the corrupt in your government for various scams," Surjewala said.
The Congress leader added that "nation must come first" and asked the prime minister to forego "media stunts" and accept the "governance challenge".
Dear PM,
— Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) May 24, 2018
Pl accept the #FitnessChallenge to-
1. Restore the economic fitness of common man by reducing the ruaway prices of Petrol/Diesel as you fleeced ₹10 Lakh Cr in 4 years by raising exise 11 times.
2. Restore the Job Fitness of young by giving 2 Cr jobs as promised.
1/2
2/3
— Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) May 24, 2018
Dear PM,
Pl accept the #FitnessChallenge to-
3. Grant MSP Fitness of Cost+50% Profit to India’s farmers as you promised.
4. Anti Corruption fitness by bringing back ₹80 Lakh Cr of Black Money from abroad as you promised & punishing the corrupt in ur Govt for various scams
3/3
— Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) May 24, 2018
Dear PM,
Pl accept the #FitnessChallenge of-
5. National Security Fitness by stopping Pak sponsored terrorism & Chinese incursion in Doklam,next to Arunanchal Border and elsewhere.
Nation must come first.
Pl forego the media stunts & accept the ‘Governance’ challenge.
Sania Nehwal shares video: In her response to the Union Minister, Nehwal shared a video of herself doing a physical routine. She also went on to thank Rathore and further challenged her badminton rival PV Sindhu and Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir.
Thank u so much @Ra_THORe sir for challenging me .#HumFitTohIndiaFit
— Saina Nehwal (@NSaina) May 22, 2018
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 @RanaDaggubati @Pvsindhu1 and @GautamGambhir pic.twitter.com/XEaJ9tPj2W
PT Usha also jum[ed into the bandwagon: PT Usha tweeted, “Nobody challenged me but I’m here being active #HumFitTohIndiaFit Post pictures and videos of how you keep yourself fit and send a #FitnessChallenge to your friends on social media. I challenge @olympicdeva @PankajAdvani247 @BishanBedi @M_Raj03”.
Nobody challenged me but I’m here being active #HumFitTohIndiaFit
— P.T. Usha (@PTUshaOfficial) May 23, 2018
Post pictures and videos of how you keep yourself fit and send a #FitnessChallenge to your friends on social media. I challenge @olympicdeva @PankajAdvani247 @BishanBedi @M_Raj03 pic.twitter.com/mk9OBC52ZK
Rathore then replied to Usha and wrote, “Who can possibly dare to challenge you @PTUshaOfficial? You will always be an inspiration to thousands of Indian women for staying fit and chasing their dreams like a champion. Thank you for being a part of the #HumFitTohIndiaFit #FitnessChallenge.”
Who can possibly dare to challenge you @PTUshaOfficial? You will always be an inspiration to thousands of Indian women for staying fit and chasing their dreams like a champion. Thank you for being a part of the #HumFitTohIndiaFit #FitnessChallenge https://t.co/v0B0Mr5PUz
— Rajyavardhan Rathore (@Ra_THORe) May 23, 2018
Hrithik Roshan accepted Virat Kohli's challenge: Hrithik revealed that he cycles on his way to office everyday. “This initiative makes me so proud ! Bravo @Ra_THORe #HumFitTohIndiaFit #FitnessChallenge this is how I commute to my office everyday. sitting static in a car is such a waste. Walk, cycle, jog, feel the earth, feel India get FIT!” He also challenged his parents Rakesh and Pinki Roshan, along with Bollywood actor Tiger Shroff and Kunal Kapoor.
Tiger Shroff, Farhan Akhtar, Babita Phogat and TV actor Soumya Tandon also joined the fitness campaign. Here are other Twitter reactions:
Jumping Namaste from HK! What a fantastic initiative by @Ra_THORe to get India healthy! Here's a video of my favourite exercise. I challenge @TheVikasKhanna @vijayshekhar @TheShilpaShetty @narendramodi @RonnieScrewvala @LukeCoutinho17 for the same. #HumFitTohIndiaFit @GOQii pic.twitter.com/6rR8rKEDiP
— Vishal Gondal (@vishalgondal) May 24, 2018
I have accepted the #FitnessChallenge given to me by former world junior boxing champ @nikhat_zareen - I challenge @Maheshbhupathi @SGanguly99 @UdantaK and @RishabPant777 #HumFitTohIndiaFit - thank you @Ra_THORe for starting a sporting revolution pic.twitter.com/qP2bIcuUsa
— Parth Jindal (@ParthJindal11) May 24, 2018
#HumFitTohIndiaFit
— Dr. Harsh Vardhan (@drharshvardhan) May 23, 2018
Inspired by my leader @narendramodi ji & colleague @Ra_THORe ji, I’m posting my video. Thanks @PratyushKanth for stringing me in. I challenge @nitin_gadkari@myogiadityanath and @sarbanandsonwal to accept the #FitnessChallenge pic.twitter.com/QQk954dlKW
Appreciate the great initiative of our respected minister @Ra_THORe #HumFitTohIndiaFit.Let’s make our people fit..Challenge accpected @waynelombard..I’m challenging @chetrisunil11 , @klrahul11 , @PankajAdvani247 @gaGunNarang @ShashiTharoor and @MPNaveenJindal #Fitnesschallenge pic.twitter.com/2P4bsb8KjE
— sreejesh p r (@16Sreejesh) May 24, 2018