Great Nicobar Project isn't about defence: Rahul Gandhi

NEW DELHI: Releasing a video of his visit to Nicobar that shows him diving into the sea, travelling through thick forests and talking to tribals and locals, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Friday said the Modi govt's argument that the Great Nicobar Project is about defence and a transshipment port is a "lie" - raising the tempo against the programme that has triggered concerns about environmental destruction and tribal displacement.

In a 16-minute video of his April trip, Rahul said the project is about benefiting a big businessman to build hotels and casinos on India's most irreplaceable ecosystem. He named "Adani" as the beneficiary.

Rahul also initiated an online petition against the project, urging Indians to sign "we choose green over greed". He asked the young Indians to ponder if they wanted to inherit an India where rainforests have been bulldozed for casinos, where coral reefs have been erased from maps, tribal communities pushed off their land, and the air turned into poison, or where India's natural heritage is protected, tribal communities are safe, and progress works with nature.

"More than 1.5 crore trees, ancient coral reefs, irreplaceable rainforests are being destroyed to profit one businessman." Rahul said if govt is concerned about defence on the island, then it should abandon the project and "expand INS Baaz", arguing that the Navy has been asking for its expansion for five years.