NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi this morning tweeted his response to Virat Kohli's fitness challenge. "Challenge accepted," he wrote in reply to the cricketer, promising to share his own fitness video soon. Besides PM Modi, Virat Kohli had also tagged wife Anushka Sharma and former Indian cricket captain MS Dhoni in the campaign started by Union Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore earlier this week.
The fitness challenge - #HumFitTohIndiaFit - was started by Information and Broadcasting Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore on Tuesday. Mr Rathore, an Olympic medalist, tweeted a video doing push-ups and urged people to shoot a video of their "fitness mantra" and share it. He tagged Virat Kohli, badminton champion Saina Nehwal and actor Hrithik Roshan for the challenge #HumFitTohIndiaHit.
Last evening, the cricket captain posted a video doing 20 spider planks and carrying on the challenge by tagging three others.
The original challenge:
Hrithik Roshan replied to Rajyavardhan Rathore with a video of him riding a bicycle and said that this was how he travelled to work every day. "This initiative makes me so proud! Bravo. #HumFitTohIndiaFit #FitnessChallenge this is how I commute to my office every day. Sitting static in a car is such a waste. Walk, cycle, jog, feel the earth, feel India get FIT!" tweeted Hrithik.
The campaign earned praise from tennis champion Sania Mirza, who tweeted, "When was the last time we saw a Minister do this??? Coolest leading by example .. congratulations on this #FitnessChallenge Sir.. here's to a brighter and healthier India .."
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju also shared a video of himself doing exercise in his office. He challenged actor Salman Khan, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu and TV actress Saumya Tandon.
PM Modi is known for his love for yoga and his government has, in the past four years, pulled out all the stops to celebrate International Yoga Day on June 21.
The NaMo app has many 3D videos of the Prime Minister doing yoga asanas.
The Fit India movement was initiated by PM Modi in March. He even talked about the movement in his Mann Ki Baat radio talk in April and released a 3D-animated video of himself depicting the 'Trikonasana' posture.
"Last month, I had urged people to participate in the Fit India Movement. I am glad with the overwhelming support for the movement. Many people have written to me about fitness, their experiences and what they do. I want to urge everyone to exercise for a healthy lifestyle," he had said on the monthly programme.