Congress general secretary in charge of communications, Jairam Ramesh, on Wednesday, accused the Modi-led government of running a ‘propaganda campaign’ by calling critics who have voiced against the Great Nicobar Island project as “soft on China”, while alleging that the Centre itself have been following the policy of 4Cs.
“This is the height of hypocrisy, coming as it does from a Govt that practices the 4C policy—Continuing, Calibrated Capitulation to China,” Ramesh wrote on X.
The Congress leader raised four points that highlighted how the Centre showed ‘calibrated capitulation’ despite showing a tough stance towards Beijing.
Ramesh said that the Narendra Modi government had given ‘clean chit’ to China, which was a “brazen insult to the 20 jawans who had been martyred earlier in Ladakh” during the Galwan Valley clash.
He also claimed that the Centre had conceded traditional patrolling and grazing rights in parts of Ladakh during border negotiations with Beijing.
Ramesh also cited India’s trade deficit with China: “It is under the PM’s close watch that India had a record trade deficit with China of about $ 115 billion in 2025-26, much to the disadvantage of Indian industry (especially MSMEs).”
He questioned the Centre over several revelations that have been made by retired and senior military officials, stating that China had not only assisted Pakistan during Operation Sindoor but had also planned, monitored, and executed Pakistan’s retaliation and response.
Recently, China, for the first time, confirmed that it had helped Pakistan with technical support during the four-day conflict with India.
The Congress leader argued that while India needed to strengthen military infrastructure in the Andaman and Nicobar region, the current project was primarily aimed at commercial expansion through a transhipment port and township, with little direct military utility.
The Centre had continued supporting the Great Nicobar Project, estimated to cost a whopping Rs 81,000 crore, aiming to transform the region into a major maritime and transhipment hub.
Ramesh alleged that alternative proposals have been submitted to expand the likely infrastructure at INS Baaz and other facilities under the Andaman and Nicobar Command, but had been ignored by Narendra Modi because the mega project would likely benefit the ‘Modani’ empire.
“The incontrovertible fact is that India has to deal with the economic and strategic challenge from China on an ongoing basis across many fronts. But the Great Nicobar Island Project is overwhelmingly a commercial enterprise, and the transhipment port that is part of it has no component of military infrastructure.
Ways to expand that infrastructure at INS Baaz and other location of the Andaman & Nicobar Command have been suggested but are being ignored for long because the Great Nicobar Island Project that the PM is bulldozing through is, in all likelihood, going to be part of the sprawling Modani business empire,” Ramesh’s post said, adding, “Sadly, that will have disastrous ecological and humanitarian impacts.”
