"Stop Adani": Sri Lanka Protesters Say PM Modi, President Rajapaksa Struck Deal

Citizens held a protest in Sri Lanka's biggest city Colombo on Thursday against the alleged favouring of Indian industrialist Gautam Adani's group in the award of an energy project in Mannar district. They alleged that the Adani group got the project as part of a "dubious" deal between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

"Modi and Gotabaya worked out a deal that is non-transparent and illegal, so that Adani did not have to go through a competitive bidding process," said Nuzly Hameem, a procurement engineer working with a major construction company which handled a project for construction of a wind energy farm in Mannar. He is a member of civil society group People's Power, which coordinated the demonstration. 

"The Sri Lanka Parliament passed an amendment to the Electricity Act to facilitate the Adani deal without any bidding," added Nuzly Hameem, speaking with NDTV over the phone from Colombo.

Social media in Sri Lanka was abuzz since Wednesday with plans for a "Stop Adani" protest against the awarding of the 500-megawatt solar and wind energy project. Posters on Twitter asked people to gather in front of Majestic City, a location in Colombo, at 2 pm on June 16.

Anjanee Wanduragala, an economics student who was part of the protests, told NDTV, "A nation of 22 million people is being kept in the dark through execution of such dubious deals. We are not opposing renewable energy; we are all for a sustainable eco-friendly solutions. But we are opposing corruption."

Nuzly Hameem added, "We want competitive bidding for energy projects. We are thankful to India for its support and aid. We favour multilateral ties that benefit the country and not drain us through corrupt means by corrupt leaders."

The controversy began after MMC Ferdinando, chairman of Sri Lanka's Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) who later quit, told a parliamentary panel that he was told by President Rajapaksa about PM Modi pressuring him to give the wind power project directly to the Adani group. President Rajapaksa strongly denied the claim. A day later, Mr Ferdinando retracted it.

But a letter exclusively accessed by NDTV suggests that Mr Ferdinando, while asking the Lankan Finance Ministry to fast-track approvals to the project, cited "directions by the (Lankan) Prime Minister" to recognise the Adani group proposal as one from the Indian government to the Lankan government.

The Adani group has said it is "disappointed" by the controversy. "Our intent in investing in Sri Lanka is to address the needs of a valued neighbour. As a responsible corporate, we see this as a necessary part of the partnership that our two nations have always shared. We are clearly disappointed by the detraction that seems to have come about. The fact is that the issue has already been addressed by and within the Sri Lankan Government," a spokesperson of the group has said.

India has not responded to the allegations or the letter.

Sri Lanka is already witnessing an upheaval after an economic crisis led to shortages of essential items.

Serena Burgess, a mother who has been protesting against the Sri Lankan government's "ill-conceived" policies, told NDTV, "Naturally we want a sustainable solution to the current energy crisis in Sri Lanka. However, in the current situation, it is vital that we do not let any corruption go unchecked. Adani is a company known for dubious practices. Sri Lanka deserves better."

Kasumi Ranasinghe Arachchige, an environmental psychologist, said Adani has been facing protests in India and Australia too. "Our natural reserves are already depleting due to existing illegal activities and projects. We cannot allow shady deals that further threaten our environment and future."