Sitharaman on Modi: 'He listens without interrupting'
Synopsis
At a Chennai college interaction, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman praised PM Narendra Modi's meeting style — patient listening, no phone, no interruptions, and sustained two-way dialogue — drawing a vivid portrait of the Prime Minister's personal conduct for a student audience.
Key Takeaways
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman spoke at a college women students' interaction event in Chennai, Tamil Nadu on September 25, 2026 .
She described PM Narendra Modi as a patient listener who never interrupts and keeps no phone nearby during meetings.
Sitharaman said Modi ensures the person across from him can fully express their views before a two-way dialogue continues.
She added that Modi also monitors tasks on an ongoing basis and provides necessary guidance.
The remarks align with a broader BJP pattern of sharing anecdotes about Modi's attentive, undistracted meeting style at youth-facing outreach events.
Sitharaman delivered her remarks in Tamil , adding directness for the Chennai student audience.
At a college students' interaction in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, on Friday, September 25, 2026, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman offered a rare first-person portrait of Prime Minister Narendra Modi — not as a policy architect, but as a listener.
Speaking in Tamil, Sitharaman described how Modi, whenever he meets someone, gives them the full floor: 'யாரைச் சந்தித்தாலும், அவர்கள் சொல்ல வந்ததை முழுமையாகச் சொல்லி முடிக்கும் வரை மிகுந்த பொறுமையோடு கேட்பார்' — 'Whoever he meets, he listens with great patience until they have finished saying everything they came to say.' No interruptions. No phone nearby. No distractions. The person in front of him gets the full, undivided conversation.
What Sitharaman told Chennai's college women
The Finance Minister went further, telling the students that meetings with Modi are never one-way briefings — they are continuous two-way dialogues. 'There will always be a two-way conversation going on,' she said. Beyond listening, Modi also follows up: he monitors tasks continuously and provides the guidance needed. The picture she drew is of a leader whose attention is the rarest currency in a high-speed executive environment — and who distributes it freely to whoever sits across from him.
The event itself — a structured interaction with college women students in Chennai — reflects a pattern of senior BJP leaders holding youth-facing outreach sessions in Tamil Nadu, a state where the party has been working steadily to build grassroots credibility. Sitharaman, herself from Tamil Nadu, is a natural anchor for such events, and her choice to speak in Tamil adds a layer of directness for the audience.
A recurring BJP message about Modi's meeting style
This is not the first time a senior BJP leader has shared an anecdote about Modi's one-on-one meeting etiquette. The 'no-phone, no-interruption' motif has surfaced periodically in party communications, typically from state-level outreach events involving youth or students. The consistency of the message — across leaders, across occasions — suggests a deliberate effort to shape the Prime Minister's image not just around policy outcomes, but around personal conduct: accessible, attentive, and grounded even at the apex of power.
For a room full of students who have grown up in the age of constant digital distraction, the image of the country's most powerful executive putting his phone away and simply listening may be the sharpest leadership lesson Sitharaman could have offered.
Point of View
And a piece of deliberate political branding targeted at Tamil Nadu's youth. By framing Modi's attentiveness in contrast to the phone-addicted, distraction-driven world her student audience inhabits, she makes a values argument, not just a personality sketch. The consistency of this 'no-phone, full attention' narrative across BJP leaders suggests a coordinated image-management effort — one that positions Modi's conduct as a model of leadership at a time when the party is investing heavily in south Indian outreach. Whether it shifts opinion in a state that has largely resisted the BJP electorally is the longer question.
NationPress
25 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Nirmala Sitharaman say about PM Modi at the Chennai event?
Sitharaman said PM Modi listens patiently to whoever he meets, never interrupts, keeps no phone nearby, and always ensures a two-way dialogue. She also said he monitors tasks and provides guidance continuously.
Where did Nirmala Sitharaman make these remarks about Modi?
She made the remarks at a college students' interaction event in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, on September 25, 2026.
Why is Nirmala Sitharaman holding events with students in Tamil Nadu?
Sitharaman, who is from Tamil Nadu, is part of the BJP's ongoing outreach efforts in the state. Youth and student interaction events are a key part of building grassroots credibility in a state where the party is working to expand its base.
Is this the first time a BJP leader has described Modi's meeting style this way?
No. BJP leaders have periodically shared similar anecdotes about Modi's attentive, no-phone, no-interruption meeting style, particularly at youth-facing and state-level outreach events.
What language did Sitharaman speak in at the Chennai event?
Sitharaman delivered her remarks in Tamil, speaking directly to the college women students in their native language.
