Manish Tewari denied any plan to quit the Congress.
Congress leader Manish Tewari, whose recent Twitter posts seeded rumours that he is also on his way out, has said he has no plans to quit "unless someone wants to push me out".
When Manish Tewari called a press meet on Wednesday, just a day after senior Congress leader Ashwani Kumar's resignation, there was intense speculation that he would make a similar announcement.
But the former Union Minister denied any plan to quit the Congress, stressing that he is "not a tenant but a partner" in the party.
"I have said this earlier also. I am not a kirayedar (tenant) but a rishtedar (partner) in the Congress party. Agar koi dhakke mar kar bahar nikalega (if anyone wants to push me out), that's a different thing. But as far as I am concerned, I have given 40 years of my life to this party. Our family has shed blood for the sake of the country's unity. If anyone wants to push me out, that is a different matter," Mr Tewari told news agency ANI.
Asked about recent big exits from the Congress, the MP said it hurt the party.
"Any leader who leaves the party causes damage and it should be thought about seriously," he said.
On Tuesday, former Union Law Minister Ashwani Kumar quit the Congress, his party of 46 years, saying it was "consistent with his dignity".
Mr Tewari called it "unfortunate" and commented that the "ambition for a Rajya Sabha seat makes people do many things".
Explaining the comment, the Congress leader said, "I think that every person has an ambition. And I said it in this context."