The BJP responded to Congress on Monday regarding its criticism of the Rs 72,000-crore Holistic Development of Great Nicobar Project. Party spokesperson Anil K Antony accused Rahul Gandhi of undermining India’s strategic interests in the Indo-Pacific.
Antony, the son of veteran Congress leader AK Antony, noted that the islands are less than 150 miles from Indonesia, near the western entrance to the Malacca Strait, which is one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints. He also mentioned that INS Baaz, a naval air station at Campbell Bay commissioned in 2012 while Sonia Gandhi was chairperson of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA).
About Great Nicobar Project
“Great Nicobar Islands are located less than 150 miles from Indonesia, situated near the western entrance to the Malacca Strait, a vital maritime trade route and the world’s most delicate chokepoint. This makes it a critical asset for India’s naval capabilities, power projection, and operations in the Indo-Pacific. Also, naval air station INS Baaz commissioned at Campbell Bay in Great Nicobar on July 31, 2012, when Mrs. Sonia Gandhi was the UPA Chairperson,” Anil K Antony stated in a post on X.
BJP questioned Rahul Gandhi
Additionally, the BJP leader questioned why Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party view “such a vital project” as a misadventure. “Over a decade later, on what basis, and on whose behalf, do you, your family, and your party now consider a project of such vital national security importance to have been a misadventure?” he asked.
The Great Nicobar Project is a major government plan to develop the island with a transshipment port, an international airport, a power plant, and a modern township, blending development with strategic positioning. Covering over 160 sq km, 130 sq km of pristine forest is home to the Nicobarese and the Shompens.
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