Congress criticized an FIR filed against The Hindu journalist Mahesh Langa, calling it a “brazen assault on democratic freedoms” aimed at distracting attention from alleged preferential treatment granted to Adani Ports by the Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB). In a post on X, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh highlighted that the FIR serves to overshadow "scandalous favors" reportedly extended to the Adani Group by the Gujarat government.
Ramesh emphasized that in early 2024, Adani Ports lobbied GMB to extend its Build-Operate-Own-Transfer (BOOT) concession period for private ports from the current 30 years to an unprecedented 75 years, exceeding the regulatory cap of 50 years. Although the GMB initially recommended opening bids for these assets, renegotiating terms with Adani, and introducing differentiated rate structures, the Gujarat Infrastructure Development Board and the Chief Minister ultimately dismissed these recommendations. Instead, the path was cleared for Adani Ports to secure long-term control over major ports, including Mundra, Hazira, and Dahej.
Ramesh further alleged that the GMB had estimated annual payments from Adani Ports to the state at approximately ₹1700 crores, whereas Adani contended that only ₹394 crores per year were owed. Amidst these negotiations, government officers were reportedly reassigned, and calculations were revised in ways that appeared to benefit Adani Ports. Calling for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) investigation, Ramesh asserted that the "real crime" lay at the top levels of the Gujarat government and that such scrutiny was necessary to uphold transparency in governance.