THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: AICC General Secretary K C Venugopal has alleged that the Adani Group cannot transfer a 49 per cent stake in the company operating Vizhinjam International Seaport without informing the Kerala government, asserting that the state is "not like BJP-ruled states where the group acts as a superpower".
Responding to questions in New Delhi on the proposed sale of a 49 per cent stake in Adani Vizhinjam Port Private Limited (AVPPL) to Switzerland-based Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), Venugopal said the transaction was still awaiting regulatory approvals and that the Adani Group owed an explanation.
"The Adani Group cannot carry out such activities by keeping the Kerala government in the dark. Kerala is not like BJP-ruled states where the Adani Group acts as a superpower," he said on Thursday.
Venugopal said the proposed transaction was yet to receive approval from the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) and other regulatory authorities.
"Is Adani our super government? Do they think they can carry out such actions by keeping the Kerala government in the dark? Is this a BJP-ruled state? There is criticism that in some BJP-ruled states, it is Adani's decisions that prevail," he said.
"But Kerala is not like that. Here, the Adani Group is not a superpower. Things do not happen simply because Adani decides they should. Did the Adani Group assume that the situation in Kerala is the same?" he added.
On Tuesday, Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) announced that MSC, the world's largest shipping and logistics group, would acquire a 49 per cent stake in AVPPL for around USD 1.4 billion. The company described the deal as the largest foreign private investment in Indian port infrastructure, saying it would strengthen Vizhinjam's position as a major transhipment hub in the Indian Ocean.
The announcement came hours after Kerala Chief Minister V D Satheesan expressed his government's displeasure over APSEZ's decision to announce the proposed stake transfer without informing the state government.
Satheesan said no change in ownership could take place without the Kerala government's prior approval, citing the concession agreement, which requires the state's consent for any change in ownership.
Meanwhile, the CPI(M), now in opposition in Kerala, has urged the UDF government to take immediate steps to prevent the proposed transfer, arguing that measures should be taken to ensure the port remains under the ownership of the state.
( With inputs from PTI)
