‘Sleepless nights ’: PM Modi jabs Cong over Shashi Tharoor presence at Kerala port event

KOCHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday took a swipe at the Congress at an event to commission a port in Thiruvananthapuram, saying the presence of two prominent leaders of the opposition’s INDIA bloc - Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Congress MP Shashi Tharoor - on the dais would give sleepless nights to many.

PM Modi, who formally commissioned the Vizhinjam International Seaport, was describing the potential of the port when he turned to chief minister Vijayan and said, “I want to tell the chief minister, you are a strong pillar of the INDIA bloc and Shashi Tharoor is also sitting here. Today’s event will give sleepless nights to many people.”

When the translator failed to accurately explain his remarks, the prime minister told him to let it be. “The message has gone wherever it had to,” he said, a suggestion that his target was the Congress leadership in Delhi.

While Vijayan’s party, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and Tharoor’s Congress are partners of the INDIA bloc at the national level, the two parties are fierce rivals in Kerala and contest elections as part of the rival CPI (M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the Congress led United Democratic Front (UDF).

Tharoor, who was present on the occasion on Friday as the local MP, had attracted some criticism within his party earlier this year for praising the growth of the startup ecosystem under the LDF government in Kerala and for complimenting the PM Modi government’s for its stance on several issues including the Russia-Ukraine war, diplomacy with US president Donald Trump, and the Pahalgam terror attack.

On Thursday night, Tharoor also put out his photos while receiving PM Modi on his arrival in Thiruvananthapuram.

PM Modi also spotlighted Kerala minister VN Vasavan’s reference to the Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ), which developed the Vizhinjam port, as a “partner” in the mega project.

“The ports minister referred to the Adani Group as a partner in his speech. A minister of a Communist government is saying the word, referring to the private sector. This is an example of changing India. Private-government partnership is crucial to the country’s development,” PM Modi said.

The prime minister reached Thiruvananthapuram late on Thursday and took a short chopper ride from the Pangode air force base to Vizhinjam on Friday morning. He went around the port facilities along with Vijayan, Kerala governor Rajendra Arlekar, minister of state Suresh Gopi, minister of state George Kurian and some state and central officials.

“Until now, 75% of the country’s transhipment needs were routed through other ports in the world. India was suffering losses in revenue through it. This situation will change now. The country’s money will be useful for it. The money that used to flow outside will now bring new economic opportunities for the people of Vizhinjam and Kerala,” PM Modi said at the event.

Vijayan said the event marked the realisation of what had been the state’s dream for a long time. “It will become one of India’s most important ports and attract global attention,” the chief minister said, calling the port a state government-owned project.

The country’s first semi-automated port, the first phase of the project in Vizhinjam was completed at a cost of ₹8,867 crore. Two-thirds of the project cost has been borne by the Kerala government — the highest such investment by a state in a port in the country -- including for building the breakwaters, a critical part of the infrastructure that will ensure the port operates smoothly irrespective of the weather conditions.

Trial operations at the port began in July last year and commercial operations in December with the first mothership being invited. During the three-month trial phase, over 272 large vessels docked at the port and more than 5,50,000 containers were handled.

Vizhinjam port is equipped with fully automated yard cranes and remotely operated ship to shore cranes for faster and safer operations. A Vessel Traffic Management System, an AI powered and home-built system which is a first in India, is also set up at the port.

It is located just 10 nautical miles from the international shipping line and with a natural depth of 18 metres, the port has the potential to boost the country’s maritime trade which suffered due to the lack of a major port in southern India. The depth at Vizhinjam is more than that of any competing port in the country and is either more than or equal to that of international competing ports like Singapore, Colombo and Salalah in Oman, officials said.