PM Modi’s Jibe at INDI Alliance During Vizhinjam Port Inauguration Draws Attention

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday took a pointed swipe at the Opposition-led INDI Alliance while sharing the stage with Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Congress MP Shashi Tharoor during the inauguration of the Vizhinjam International Seaport in Thiruvananthapuram.

In a moment that drew both political and public attention, the Prime Minister remarked, “Aaj ka event bahut logon ki need kharab kar dega (Today’s event is going to disturb the sleep of many).” Addressing the gathering, Modi added, “I want to tell the Chief Minister, you are a strong pillar of the INDI alliance. Shashi Tharoor is also sitting here. Today’s event is going to disturb the sleep of many.”

The comment, delivered with characteristic political flair, was interpreted as a veiled reference to tensions within the Opposition bloc, especially as Modi appeared on stage alongside key figures from both the Left and the Congress.

Adding to the intrigue, the inaugural plaque unveiled by the Prime Minister prominently included the name of Shashi Tharoor—a senior Congress leader whose public praise for certain central government policies has previously drawn criticism from his own party.

Tharoor has on multiple occasions expressed views that diverge from the official Congress line. In a notable example, he recently admitted to having misjudged India’s neutral position on the Russia-Ukraine war. “I was left with an egg on my face,” Tharoor acknowledged, referring to his initial opposition to New Delhi’s stance when the conflict erupted in 2022.

More recently, Tharoor voiced support for the Union government following a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam region. “Everyone was waiting to see the Centre’s response to the terror attack,” he said, emphasizing that discussions around government accountability for possible lapses could follow only after immediate security concerns were addressed.

Friday’s event at Vizhinjam highlighted both the strategic significance of the new port and the shifting political optics in southern India, where cross-party interactions are being closely watched in the lead-up to national elections.