The Congress on Saturday (January 24, 2026) accused the Union government of pushing through the “ecologically disastrous” Great Nicobar Island infrastructure project despite legal challenges and widespread professional objections, alleging that the Narendra Modi-led dispensation remained “indifferent” to environmental and tribal concerns. Congress general secretary in-charge of communications Jairam Ramesh shared The Hindu news report on X, which cited members of the Tribal Council in Little and Great Nicobar alleging that the district administration was pressuring them to “surrender their ancestral land” for the project. “Yet another example of how the ecologically disastrous Great Nicobar project is being bulldozed through. Responding to allegations of coercion of tribal communities, the former Environment Minister said, “This is unacceptable and shows how the Great Nicobar project is being bulldozed through. The Union government, however, had defended the project, with Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav stating that all statutory clearances were in place and that the initiative was vital for national development.

Source: The Hindu January 24, 2026 17:48 UTC