NEW DELHI: Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday took a dig at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his “Double A and A1,A2” jibes at the BJP-led NDA government as she reminded the Congress leader about the recent milestone reached at Vizhinjam International Seaport in Kerala which welcomed its first mothership, ‘San Fernando’.
Rahul, who has often attacked the Narendra Modi government for favouring businessmen Gautam Adani and Mukesh Ambani, had referred to the two as “Double A” and “A1” and “A2” during his recent speeches in Lok Sabha after Speaker Om Birla objected to naming individuals in Parliament who are not members of the House.
What did Sitharaman say?
Sitharaman today took digs at Rahul over his remarks and said: “India’s first trans-shipment port, all of us happily celebrated when a very big vessel reached Vizhinjam port. Kerala government, Congress government gave it, and nobody, who were speaking about double As and A1 and A2, questioned the Kerala government when Vizhinjam port was given on invitation to one of these investors.”
So, what is the connection?
It was the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) government of Oommen Chandy that had in 2015 inked a deal with Adani Ports and SEZ Private Limited for the mega project.
The project was allotted to APSEZ on December 5, 2015, after the Government of Kerala and Adani Vizhinjam Port Private Ltd. (AVPPL) agreed to a concession agreement on August 17, 2015.
The state government of Kerala has contributed about Rs 5,595 crore while the central government contributed Rs 818 crore for the port. Built on the public-private partnership, Vizhinjam International Port’s construction started in 2016.
Congress, CPM vie for credit for Adani-linked project
After the arrival of first mother ship earlier this month, Kerala Congress president K Sudhakaran claimed credit on behalf of grand old party and said the port became reality only because of the “willpower” of Oommen Chandy who died in July 2023. “Vijayan should apologise to the people of Kerala. CPM tried to kill the project. It is ludicrous to see that he is trying to take credit for the port. There is a bid to cover up the role of Chandy in making the port a reality,” Sudhakaran said.
The ruling CPM in Kerala, which was then in the opposition, had kept away from the inauguration of the port’s construction alleging that the port project was a “dubious deal”. In the run-up to the 2016 assembly elections, the CPM dubbed the Vizhinjam project “looting of the sea by the Adani group”.
Nine years down the line, Vijayan, now the Kerala chief minister, took a U-turn and said “We have to realise that Kerala opens a new chapter in its history of development. It is a moment of pride for Kerala.
Vijayan even appreciated Adani Group and said, “Adani Group, the builders and operators of the port, deserve appreciation for their efforts in ensuring the completion of this project. Vizhinjam Port exemplifies a successful public-private partnership, highlighting the potential of collaborative development. Join us in celebrating this historic achievement that marks a new era of progress and prosperity for Kerala.”
Clearly, Sitharaman was targeting this contradiction of stand within the opposition camp, especially vis-à-vis Rahul Gandhi who misses no opportunity to target the government for favouring the two businessmen, even as his party engages with them at the state level.
Rahul, who has often attacked the Narendra Modi government for favouring businessmen Gautam Adani and Mukesh Ambani, had referred to the two as “Double A” and “A1” and “A2” during his recent speeches in Lok Sabha after Speaker Om Birla objected to naming individuals in Parliament who are not members of the House.
What did Sitharaman say?
Sitharaman today took digs at Rahul over his remarks and said: “India’s first trans-shipment port, all of us happily celebrated when a very big vessel reached Vizhinjam port. Kerala government, Congress government gave it, and nobody, who were speaking about double As and A1 and A2, questioned the Kerala government when Vizhinjam port was given on invitation to one of these investors.”
So, what is the connection?
It was the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) government of Oommen Chandy that had in 2015 inked a deal with Adani Ports and SEZ Private Limited for the mega project.
The project was allotted to APSEZ on December 5, 2015, after the Government of Kerala and Adani Vizhinjam Port Private Ltd. (AVPPL) agreed to a concession agreement on August 17, 2015.
The state government of Kerala has contributed about Rs 5,595 crore while the central government contributed Rs 818 crore for the port. Built on the public-private partnership, Vizhinjam International Port’s construction started in 2016.
Congress, CPM vie for credit for Adani-linked project
After the arrival of first mother ship earlier this month, Kerala Congress president K Sudhakaran claimed credit on behalf of grand old party and said the port became reality only because of the “willpower” of Oommen Chandy who died in July 2023. “Vijayan should apologise to the people of Kerala. CPM tried to kill the project. It is ludicrous to see that he is trying to take credit for the port. There is a bid to cover up the role of Chandy in making the port a reality,” Sudhakaran said.
The ruling CPM in Kerala, which was then in the opposition, had kept away from the inauguration of the port’s construction alleging that the port project was a “dubious deal”. In the run-up to the 2016 assembly elections, the CPM dubbed the Vizhinjam project “looting of the sea by the Adani group”.
Nine years down the line, Vijayan, now the Kerala chief minister, took a U-turn and said “We have to realise that Kerala opens a new chapter in its history of development. It is a moment of pride for Kerala.
Vijayan even appreciated Adani Group and said, “Adani Group, the builders and operators of the port, deserve appreciation for their efforts in ensuring the completion of this project. Vizhinjam Port exemplifies a successful public-private partnership, highlighting the potential of collaborative development. Join us in celebrating this historic achievement that marks a new era of progress and prosperity for Kerala.”
Clearly, Sitharaman was targeting this contradiction of stand within the opposition camp, especially vis-à-vis Rahul Gandhi who misses no opportunity to target the government for favouring the two businessmen, even as his party engages with them at the state level.
