In a statement issued along with the questions, Ramesh said the governments of India, Japan and Sri Lanka (Ranil Wickremesinghe was then Prime Minister in Sri Lanka) signed an agreement on 28 May 2019 to develop the East Container Terminal at Colombo South Port with the participation of India and Japan. Memorandum was signed. But a year later, on 9 June 2020, the Sri Lankan cabinet under the leadership of the then Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa announced that India had ‘selected’ Adani Ports as its overseas terminal operator.
The statement further said that after the deal was unexpectedly cancelled, the Rajapaksa government instead offered Colombo’s West Container Terminal to India and Japan under a build, operate and transfer lease for a period of 35 years, which Finalized on 30 Sep 2021.
Referring to an interview given by Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Ali Sabri to The Hindu in the past, Ramesh questioned, ‘A Sri Lankan cabinet spokesperson said that India had ‘designated’ Adani Ports as a partner. Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Ali Sabri, in an interview given on 5 March 2023, defined the deal as a ‘government to government’ port project. On what basis did you ‘select’ and ‘nominate’ Adani Ports for this ‘Government to Government’ deal? Did any other Indian company have an opportunity to invest in this deal or did you reserve this deal only for your close friends?’
In the next question, saying that the 2002 decision by the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government not to invest in the strategically important Hambantota port had paved the way for Chinese firms to enter Sri Lanka’s port sector, Ramesh said Colombo India’s investment was partly driven by the need to contain China’s expansion.
He said, ‘As we mentioned in our HAHK question series dated March 3, 2023, the Adani Group has questionable links with Chinese nationals, such as Adani family confidante Chang Chung-ling (alias Linggo-Chang), who is involved in other activities. Apart from this, allies of China and Pakistan have been involved in violation of UN sanctions against North Korea.
Ramesh asked, ‘How can it be in the national interest to pave the way for strategically important contracts to friends having questionable business relations with China? Are these links not worthy of investigation by your usually hyperactive investigative agencies?’
Ramesh referred to a 500 MW wind power project in Sri Lanka’s Mannar district, accusing Prime Minister Modi of ‘lobbying for his business friends’.
He said, ‘Your strong lobbying for your friends has gone as far as getting them a 500 MW wind power project in Sri Lanka’s Mannar district. MMC Ferdinando, former head of the Ceylon Electricity Board, while testifying before the Parliament of Sri Lanka on 10 June 2022, said that on 24 October 2021, the President [गोटबाया राजपक्षे] called him after a meeting and said that Prime Minister of India Modi is pressurizing him to hand over the project to Adani Group.’
Ramesh further said, ‘Though he later retracted these comments due to pressure, this revelation completely exposed the nexus of crony capitalism in which you have been involved. Are you assuming that your main job is to get contracts in India and other countries for your friend Gautam Adani instead of working for the people of India?’