Rahul Gandhi explains why he made Jiu-Jitsu remark in Parliament: 'PM Modi under grips and chokes’

On February 11, Rahul Gandhi opened his critique of the Union Budget with a mixed martial arts analogy, arguing that power in politics operates through invisible pressure rather than open force.

• Rahul Gandhi explains Jiu-Jitsu analogy in Parliament speech
• He questions trade deal's impact on farmers and energy security
• Gandhi: Deal favors US, endangers India's digital sovereignty

Did our AI summary help?

In a video shared on X, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday explained why he used a Jiu-Jitsu analogy in his recent Parliament speech during the Budget session.

“Why did I use a Jiu-Jitsu analogy in my Parliament speech on the trade deal? The reason I used the idea of grips and a choke is because these exist in the sport of Jiu-Jitsu and it is how you control an opponent in this sport. But they also exist in the political realm. In my experience of politics, political grips and chokes are mostly hidden… It expressed very powerfully what our Prime Minister was going through,” he said, before listing a series of pointed questions about the agreement.

“Why were our farmers sacrificed to please the Americans?” he asked, suggesting that increased market access for US agricultural products could hurt Indian producers.

He further questioned the energy provisions of the deal. “Why was India’s energy security compromised by allowing the US to dictate our oil supplies?” Gandhi wrote, arguing that strategic autonomy in energy sourcing was critical for India’s long-term stability.

Why did I use a Jiu-Jitsu analogy in my Parliament speech on the trade deal?

Related Stories

• Rupee falls 16 paise to 92.35 against the dollar as crude remains above $100
• Meta brings AI auto responses and price suggestions to Facebook Marketplace
• ‘The math doesn’t work’: Iran’s cheap drones are forcing the US to burn costly missiles fast...

Why were our farmers sacrificed to please the Americans? Why was India’s energy security compromised by allowing the US to dictate our oil supplies? Why agree to increase US imports by $100 billion a… pic.twitter.com/y0Ooy0U30y — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) February 20, 2026

Gandhi also raised concerns about trade imbalances. “Why agree to increase US imports by $100 billion a year without a reciprocal promise?” he asked, claiming that the arrangement appeared disproportionately favorable to Washington.

According to him, the agreement risked undermining India’s digital sovereignty. “Why did I say this deal could turn India into a data colony?” he said.

Gandhi concluded his post with a direct challenge to the Prime Minister’s decision-making. “Why would Modi ji agree to a deal where India gives so much and appears to get so little?” he asked.

According to reports, Gandhi is trained in Jiu-Jitsu and holds a blue belt in martial arts. He is also a practitioner of Aikido, holding a black belt in that discipline, which he earned in 2013.

On February 11, Gandhi opened his critique of the Union Budget with a mixed martial arts analogy, arguing that power in politics operates through invisible pressure rather than open force.

The BJP had then accused the Congress leader of misleading Parliament on the basis of an “older version” of a fact sheet released by the US government.

BJP national media head and spokesperson Anil Baluni alleged that Rahul “did not merely critique the document” but engaged in a “selective reading of it” to deliberately misrepresent the Budget. “He misquoted it, misread it, and then built an argument on that distortion. Parliament deserves scrutiny grounded in facts, not selective readings and convenient misinterpretations. Deliberately misrepresenting the Budget weakens democratic debate and disrespects the intelligence of the people of India,” Baluni said on X.