“If any person leaves the Congress, it is undoubtedly a loss for the party. Shri Ashwini Kumar Ji has been a Congress MP from Punjab and has been a senior leader of the party. If he has left, it is very unfortunate”. Tewari said that Kumar’s exit was due to not being renominated to the Rajya Sabha, which is due to happen between April and July. The Congress has seven seats in the Upper House.

Manish Tewari switched over to Punjabi while speaking and said that “these Rajya Sabha seats can make a person do a lot”, but did not respond clearly when a reporter asked if this was “greed”.