Many will lose sleep: PM's jibe at INDIA bloc

PM Modi shares stage with Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan and Congress MP Shashi Tharoor

- STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday took a jibe at the opposition INDIA bloc during the inauguration of the Vizhinjam International Seaport in Kerala, stating that "many will lose sleep tonight" as he shared the stage with Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Congress MP Shashi Tharoor.

"I want to tell the Chief Minister—you are a strong pillar of the INDIA alliance. Shashi Tharoor is also sitting here, and today's event will give sleepless nights to several people," PM Modi remarked, pointing to the unusual optics of opposition leaders sharing the stage with him.

However, the person translating his speech into Malayalam omitted this portion. Noticing this, the Prime Minister quipped: "Message chala gaya jahan jana tha" ("The message has reached where it was meant to").

Notably, Mr Tharoor was present at the Thiruvananthapuram airport on Thursday evening to receive PM Modi, a gesture that has sparked political speculation.