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Congress leader Manish Tewari. File. | Photo Credit: Shiv Kumar Pushpakar

Amid a buzz around his brief interaction with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during an event in Chandigarh, Congress MP Manish Tewari on Saturday (July 18, 2026) said he is still a little "old school" and believes in the tenets of protocol as well as keeping the imperatives of development above partisan politics.

The remarks came after his interaction with Prime Minister Modi after an official programme in Chandigarh garnered attention on social media.

PM Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for multiple development projects worth over ₹4,700 crore in Chandigarh, from where Tewari is an MP.

Mr. Modi addressed a gathering at the Punjab Engineering College in Chandigarh after inaugurating and laying foundation stones of various projects spanning healthcare, education and road infrastructure.

Reacting to the buzz about his interaction with Mr. Modi, Mr. Tewari said, "I have always endeavoured to keep the imperatives of development above partisan politics."

"On August 24, 2022, when the Prime Minister came to inaugurate the Dr. Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital and Research Centre (Tata Memorial Centre) in New Chandigarh, as MP from Sri Anandpur Sahib, I was present on the occasion. Today, the Tata Memorial Centre is a lifeline for thousands of cancer patients from across the region," Mr. Tewari said.

"On July 17, 2026, when the Prime Minister again inaugurated a slew of development projects in Chandigarh and my erstwhile parliamentary constituency, Sri Anandpur Sahib, I was again present on the occasion because these projects will help better the lives of people that we have been elected to serve," he said on X.

Over the last 45 years as a political activist, Mr. Tewari said, he has seen how our politics systematically breaks down. It has turned increasingly toxic and corrosive, where political rivals are now considered mortal adversaries, he said.

"However, I am still a little old school, (one) who still believes in certain basic courtesies and tenets of protocol, and above all, keeping the imperatives of development above partisan politics," Mr. Tewari said, adding, "That is who I am irrespective of who may think what!"

This comes days after Tewari had put out a cryptic post on X and wished he had an antidote for the "insecurities of individuals" and "institutions", though the Congress has given him enough over the past 45 years and he has also devoted his entire adult life in the service of the party.

His remarks had come after being ignored during the Punjab Congress reshuffle before the 2027 assembly polls.

On X, Mr. Tewari had shared a media report stating that he was "left in the cold" as Congress appointed new working presidents and set up poll panels for Punjab.

"Hai bada koi avgun usme jise koi hunar aave (If a person is talented, then society and people usually pick a fault in him). Wish I had an antidote for the insecurities of individuals and institutions!" Mr. Tewari had posted, without elaborating.

"Having said that, @INCIndia has given me enough over the past 45 years, and I have also devoted my entire adult life in the service of the Indian National Congress over the decades," the former Union Minister had said, adding, "Que sera, sera, Whatever will be, will be."

The Congress is striving to get back to power once again in Punjab, where assembly elections are slated for early next year.

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