India refuted the claim made by the Sri Lankan government that the Indian High Commission in Colombo had granted approval to the proposed West Container Terminal (WCT) deal. India’s External Affairs Ministry (MEA) called the claim “factually incorrect.” 

“Our High Commission in Colombo has already conveyed to the government of Sri Lanka that their media release insofar as the reference to the approval of the High Commission was concerned, is factually incorrect,” Anurag Srivastava, the spokesperson of the MEA said on Friday in a virtual weekly briefing. 

He also said that it is understood that the Sri Lankan government had decided to engage directly with the investor (Adani Ports and Special Economic Zones). 

On Tuesday, the Sri Lanka government released a statement, announcing the Indian High Commission approved the proposal to develop the strategic Colombo Port's Western Container Terminal (WCT) under a joint venture with India and Japan for a period of 35 years.  
However, a day after  the high commission denied the claim, saying it is up to the Sri Lanka government to clear an investment proposal in the country, the high commission said it had no role to play in it. 

The Sri Lankan Cabinet memorandum had said, “the proposal presented by Adani Ports and special economic zone limited (APSEZ Consortium) has been approved by the Indian High Commission.”

The proposal to jointly develop the West Container Terminal of Colombo port came just a month after the Sri Lankan government scrapped the 2019 MoU on the East Container Terminal (ECT) Port in Colombo. Japan and India, who were  to jointly develop the ECT, thereafter, reacted strongly on the Sri Lankan government decision.