Kochi, May 3 -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that the presence of Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Congress MP Shashi Tharoor at the commissioning of the Vizhinjam International Seaport will give "sleepless nights" to the opposition INDIA bloc. The remark, apparently made half in jest, along with an observation in a similar vein about a communist leader calling a conglomerate a partner, sparked a sharp reaction from the Congress, which said the PM was fixating on the opposition leaders days after the country faced a terror attack that claimed the lives of 26 civilians. Addressing the gathering at the inauguration of the port, developed by the Gautam Adani-led group, the Prime Minister also described Vijayan as a "pillar" of the Opposition bloc. "I would like to say to our chief minister, you are a big and strong pillar of the INDI Alliance. Shashi Tharoor is also sitting here, and I would like to say that today's event will give sleepless nights to several people," Modi said. However, the person translating his speech did not translate it properly, prompting Modi to say: "The message has gone across to whom it was meant." While Vijayan's party CPI(M) and Tharoor's Congress are partners of the INDIA bloc nationally, the two parties contest state elections as part of the rival LDF and UDF alliances. The Congress hit back at the Prime Minister. Congress general secretary, organisation, K C Venugopal said in a post on X, "Even after the horrific terrorist attack in Pahalgam, our PM remains fixated on disturbing the sleep of opposition leaders instead of confronting the real threat - Pakistan". "But rest assured, PM, while you're busy with your distractions, our sleepless nights will be spent holding you accountable," Venugopal said. Tharoor, who missed the Congress Working Committee meeting in Delhi for the seaport inauguration, received Modi on his arrival on Thursday. "Despite delays at the dysfunctional Delhi airport, managed to land in Thiruvananthapuram in time to receive Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his arrival in my constituency. Looking forward to his officially commissioning Vizhinjam port, a project I have been proud to have been involved with since its inception," he said in a post on X. Earlier in March, Tharoor gave rise to speculations over his future in the Congress, when he praised the government's handling of the Russia-Ukraine war as an endorsement of India's deft diplomacy under Modi's leadership....