india

Updated: Oct 27, 2017 10:58 IST

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said he believes in destiny when it comes to marriage.

The Congress leader also said he does some sporting activity for about an hour every day to stay fit, revealing that he was a black belt in Aikido, a Japanese martial art.

Gandhi, who hit hard at the Modi government in his speech at the 112th annual session of the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry, later faced some questions from international professional boxer Vijender Singh, an Olympics bronze medallist.

Vijender, who was a panelist in the session before Gandhi, said he had seen MPs or MLAs cutting ribbons, but never seen them playing a game.

He asked Gandhi what will he do for sports if he became the Prime Minister.

Vijender then said there was talk at his home of when “Rahul bhaiya” will get married, adding that there was a perception that getting married after becoming the Prime Minister will have a different charm.

Gandhi, 47, sought to sidestep the question about his marriage, saying “it was an old question”. But Vijender persisted amid smiles from the audience and said the Congress leader should reply as the people were awaiting his answer.

“I believe in destiny -- Jab hogi, hogi (when it happens, it happens),” Gandhi quipped.

As for politicians not interested in sports, Gandhi said he was not in that category.

“I do exercise -- running, swimming. I am a black belt in Aikido. I keep doing (sports) but I do not talk about it publicly. But in my life, sports has been, is, and will be, very necessary,” the Congress leader said.

“Normally, I do sports for one hour every day. This is true I have not done it in the last 3-4 months. Before that, for my whole life, I have devoted at least an hour daily to sports,” he added.

Vijender then asked Gandhi to put out a video on his sporting activities, saying that people had seen him boxing and wrestling against the government in Parliament and that such videos will inspire others.

“We will put, we will put,” Gandhi said.