Great Nicobar project is purely commercial with no military infrastructure element: Congress

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Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh alleged that the government had launched a “propaganda campaign” to portray critics of the Great Nicobar Island Project as sympathetic to China. File photo. | Photo Credit: The Hindu

The Congress on Wednesday (May 20, 2026) said the Great Nicobar Island Project is a commercial venture with no military component, accusing the Narendra Modi government of trying to label those opposed to the proposed transshipment hub on the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago as being “soft on China”.

Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh alleged that the government had launched a “propaganda campaign” through its “ecosystem” to portray critics of the Great Nicobar Island Project as sympathetic to China. He also accused the Centre of pursuing what he termed a policy of “Continuing, Calibrated Capitulation to China”.

Nicobar port has no ‘strategic goals’, Finance Ministry body said in 2024

मोदी सरकार अब अपने इकोसिस्टम के जरिए एक प्रोपेगैंडा कैंपेन चला रही है, जिसमें ग्रेट निकोबार आइलैंड प्रोजेक्ट से होने वाली पर्यावरणीय तबाही को लेकर चिंता करने वालों को 'चीन के प्रति नरम' दिखाने की कोशिश की जा रही है।यह हिपोक्रेसी की हद है, क्योंकि यही सरकार चीन के प्रति 4C नीति…

In a post on X, Mr. Ramesh described the charge against opponents of the project as “the height of hypocrisy” and sought to turn the criticism back on the government.

He referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s June 19, 2020 remarks following the clashes in Ladakh, alleging that the Prime Minister had given China an “inexplicable clean chit” in what he called an insult to the 20 Indian soldiers killed in the Galwan Valley clash.

The Congress leader also claimed that the government, in its negotiations with China, had surrendered “traditional patrolling and herding rights” in several areas of Ladakh.

Mr. Ramesh further pointed to India’s trade imbalance with China, asserting that the country recorded a trade deficit of about $115 billion with