The Congress on Wednesday (May 20, 2026) said the Great Nicobar Island Project is a commercial venture with no military component, accusing the Narendra Modi government of trying to label those opposed to the proposed transshipment hub on the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago as being “soft on China”.

Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh alleged that the government had launched a “propaganda campaign” through its “ecosystem” to portray critics of the Great Nicobar Island Project as sympathetic to China. He also accused the Centre of pursuing what he termed a policy of “Continuing, Calibrated Capitulation to China”.