Shri Rahul Gandhi on a 2-day visit to Andaman & Nicobar Islands

Leader of Opposition Shri Rahul Gandhi terms Great Nicobar project the ‘gravest crime’

Port Blair: On his recent visit to Great Nicobar Island Leader of Opposition Shri Rahul Gandhi on April 29, 2026, mounted a sharp attack on the Centre’s proposed development project in Great Nicobar Island, calling it “one of the biggest scams and gravest crimes” against India’s natural and tribal heritage.

Former Congress President Shri Rahul Gandhi expressed grave concerns over the government’s ambitious development project underway in the region. Describing the pristine forests of the island as extraordinary and filled with ancient trees, Shri Rahul Gandhi highlighted the beauty and cultural richness of the local communities – both the indigenous Adivasi and the settlers. However, he emphasized a darker narrative emerging from this project.

After visiting the island, Leader of Opposition Shri Rahul Gandhi described its ecosystem as extraordinary and warned of irreversible damage if the Rs. 92,000 crore mega infrastructure project goes ahead.

Shri Rahul Gandhi condemned the project as not one of progress, but rather as an act of destruction, labelling it “one of the biggest scams and gravest crimes against this country’s natural and tribal heritage in our lifetime.” He noted the alarming number of trees marked for clearance and described vast areas of rainforest as being condemned. His statements conveyed a strong message about the negative impact such projects can have on the environment and local communities.

“These are the most extraordinary forests I have ever seen in my life — trees older than memory, forests that took generations to grow,” he said in a post on X. “The people here — both Adivasi communities and settlers — are being robbed of what is rightfully theirs.” The full text of the post on X is as follows:-

I travelled through Great Nicobar today.

These are the most extraordinary forests I have ever seen in my life. Trees older than memory. Forests that took generations to grow. The people on this island are equally beautiful - both the Adivasi communities and the settlers - but they are being robbed of what is rightfully theirs. The government calls what it is doing here a “Project.” What I have seen is not a project. It is millions of trees marked for the axe. It is 160 square kilometres of rainforest condemned to die. It is communities that have been ignored while their homes have been snatched away.

This is not development. This is destruction dressed in development’s language.

So I will say it plainly, and I will keep saying it: what is being done in Great Nicobar is one of the biggest scams and gravest crimes against this country’s natural and tribal heritage in our lifetime. It must be stopped. And it can be stopped - if Indians choose to see what I have seen. During his visit to Rajiv Nagar in Campbell Bay, Shri Rahul Gandhi met members of the Nicobarese community, who voiced concerns over displacement and environmental damage. He said that he was there primarily to listen.

“I am here to hear you and assure you that we will do whatever we can to fight for you,” he told residents. The visit follows earlier interactions with tribal leaders opposing the project, where Leader of Opposition Shri Rahul Gandhi had promised to raise the issue in Parliament and assess the ground situation personally.

The Centre’s ambitious ₹ 81,000 crore Great Nicobar Holistic Development Project, ambitious plan for Great Nicobar includes large-scale infrastructure development, but it has drawn criticism from environmentalists and indigenous groups who fear it could permanently alter one of India’s most pristine ecological zones.