Rahul’s visit rattled Govt over Great Nicobar project: Congress
The Congress on Sunday flagged in detail concerns related to ecology, tribal rights, transparency and security, over the Great Nicobar project, and asserted that these considerations must be debated in a parliamentary forum.
The Opposition party claimed that the Modi Government is “rattled” and in damage control mode after the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, visited Great Nicobar last week.
In a statement, Congress general secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh said, “The Modi Government, clearly in damage control mode after the hugely impactful visit of the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, to Great Nicobar on April 28, 2026, issued a press note on the Great Nicobar Island Development Project three days later.”
This press note does not address any of the serious concerns that have been raised on it by local affected communities, environmentalists, anthropologists, academics, civil society experts and other professionals, Ramesh said.
During his visit to Great Nicobar last week, Rahul Gandhi alleged that the Great Nicobar project at Campbell Bay in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands was “one of the biggest scams and gravest crimes against the natural and tribal heritage of the country”. The Government, on May 1, released a detailed statement with answers to FAQs (frequently asked questions).
“The Great Nicobar Project is a strategic initiative to strengthen India’s presence in the Andaman Sea. It seeks to balance port-led growth with calibrated environmental safeguards. Protection of indigenous communities remains central to its planning,” the Government statement had said.
“The project combines strategic, economic, and ecological priorities. This ensures that development is sustainable, inclusive, and aligned with national interests,” it had said.
In his four-page detailed statement, Ramesh spelt out the key concerns over the Great Nicobar project.
Flagging ecological concerns, Ramesh said the Great Nicobar is unique and distinctly different from all other islands in the Andaman and Nicobar group.
