By Thiloththama Jayasinghe, Jadetimes Staff
T. Jayasinghe is a Jadetimes news reporter covering world business
The Congress party has expressed alarm over protests going on in Kenya over the Adani Group's proposed takeover of Nairobi's JKIA. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh shared that the situation can further develop into larger anti-India sentiment in Kenya, and this risk can be attributed to the closeness between India's Prime Minister and the Adani Group.
Ramesh also mentioned that other controversies of the Adani Group in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have caused a number of adverse effects on Indian interests in the region. People in Bangladesh, he said, even protested against a power purchase agreement with Adani that led to political unrest, while in Sri Lanka, there is significant opposition to Adani's renewable energy projects in Mannar.
Ramesh attacked the Indian government for its engagement with the Adani Group, saying it has cost India its soft power in the world. He described it as a big failure in foreign policy as far as India was concerned.
The Kenya Aviation Workers Union, which has about 10,000 members, warned it could go on strike over the deal, describing the move as a sly attempt to privatize the airport. Adani's $1.85 billion investment in the airport proposes expansion, including a second runway and upgradation of the passenger terminal. The Kenyan government justified this by stating that the deal was important for the betterment of JKIA; however, the union, on its part, has opposed the idea, with the matter currently under review.
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