Thiruvananthapuram, May 2: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday took a subtle jab at Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, remarking that Tharoor’s presence at the commissioning of the Vizhinjam International Seaport in Kerala would likely give “sleepless nights” to many.
Modi’s comment comes at a time when Tharoor, the Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram, is facing growing criticism from within his own party. Some Congress leaders have accused Tharoor of being too lenient with the BJP following the Pahalgam terror attack.
Besides, Tharoor has been criticized for praising India’s foreign policy under Modi, particularly its handling of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
During his speech at the inauguration, Modi also acknowledged Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who attended the event. Modi described him as a “pillar” of the opposition INDIA bloc.
“I would like to say to our chief minister, you are a big and strong pillar of the INDI Alliance. Shashi Tharoor is also sitting here, and I would like to say that today’s event will take away the sleep of many,” Modi said.
However, there was a slight hiccup when the translation of Modi’s speech was not accurate, prompting him to clarify, “The message has gone across for whom it was meant.”
Tharoor, who had received Modi at Thiruvananthapuram airport the previous day, later shared on X (formerly Twitter) that despite delays at the Delhi airport, he managed to reach in time to receive the Prime Minister.
“Looking forward to his officially commissioning Vizhinjam port, a project I have been proud to have been involved with since its inception,” Tharoor posted.
Meanwhile, the Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Assembly, VD Satheesan, chose to skip the event, protesting the late invitation.
Satheesan expressed his displeasure over the government’s failure to recognize the role of the previous UDF government, led by Oommen Chandy, in establishing the port. He pointed out that the UDF government had signed the agreement with the Adani Group and initiated the preliminary work on the project.
