While dedicating the Vizhinjam port to the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday took a dig at the ruling CPI(M), which has long been opposed to private investment. Praising the Adani group for having completed the construction in a short span, Modi said in the presence of industrialist Gautam Adani, “I have returned from visiting the port. When the people of Gujarat come to know that Adani has built such a good port here in Kerala – he has been working on ports in Gujarat for 30 years, but he has not built such a port there yet – he will have to be ready to face their anger. I would also like to say to our Chief Minister (Pinarayi Vijayan) – you are a strong pillar of the Indi Alliance. Shashi Tharoor is also sitting here, and today’s event will give sleepless nights to many people.”

The Rs 8,800-crore Vizhinjam International Deepwater Multipurpose Seaport is being developed by Adani Ports and SEZ Private Limited on a design, build, finance, operate and transfer (DBFOT) model. In 2015, when the then Congress regime inked the deal with the Adani group, the CPI(M), then in the Opposition, had dubbed it a land scam of Rs 6,000 crore. However, at the inaugural venue, CPI(M) leader and state port minister V N Vasavan referred to the industrialist as “our partner Adani”.

Referring to the state minister’s reference to Adani, the Prime Minister said, “When our port minister was delivering his speech, he said that Adani is our government’s partner. A minister of a communist government is saying this for the private sector – this is changing India.’’

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At one point, as the translator bungled Modi’s reference to Indi Alliance as “Indian airlines”, the Prime Minister said, “The translator could not (translate these lines)… but the message has gone where it had to.”

Underscoring the role of the private sector in elevating India’s maritime industry to new heights, Modi said that under public-private partnerships, thousands of crores have been invested over the past 10 years. This collaboration has not only upgraded India’s ports to global standards but also made them future-ready, he said.

Modi also used the event to strike a chord with the state’s Christian community, particularly the Catholic segment that lives along the coastal belt. He paid tribute to Pope Francis, who died last week, saying that the world will remember his contributions. He also shared his personal experiences with the Pope, expressing his gratitude for having had multiple opportunities to meet him.