PM Modi, German Chancellor Merz enjoy kite flying at Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday inaugurated the International Kite Festival-2026 at Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad and later enjoyed kite flying with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
After paying tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at the Sabarmati Ashram, PM Modi and Chancellor Merz went to the Sabarmati Riverfront, where the state government has organised the kite festival.
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At the venue, Modi and Merz interacted with women artisans and understood the process of making kites. After the inauguration, both the leaders took a ride on the ground in an open vehicle and also tried their hands at flying kites.
As many as 135 kitists from 50 countries and nearly 1,000 kite enthusiasts from India are participating in the International Kite Festival-2026 in Ahmedabad, according to a Gujarat government release.
As part of the festival, the kitists have already visited places like Rajkot, Surat, Dholavira (in Kutch) and Statue of Unity (Narmada) during the last two days and enthralled the visitors, it said, adding that the festival in Ahmedabad will continue till January 14.
Last year, the festival attracted more than 3.83 lakh visitors across Gujarat.
Through the 'International Kite Festival', Gujarat Tourism is attracting visitors to leading cultural and tourist destinations, such as Dholavira and the Statue of Unity.
More than five lakh tourists are expected to visit Gujarat to witness the International Kite Festival this year, the release added.
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Stalin accuses Centre of trying to use women's quota as 'weapon,' slams EPS over delimitation
Chennai (PTI): Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has strongly criticised the Centre over the women's reservation and accused it of trying to use it as a "weapon" to tackle the opposition before taking up the delimitation exercise based on population.
"The Union government is not concerned about implementing reservations for women. If their concerns were genuine, they could have done it right away. Rather than doing that, the BJP-led Centre is thinking of using it as a weapon to tackle opposition and take up the delimitation exercise based on population," he told PTI in an interview.
"Hence, the women's reservation must be implemented immediately without showing delimitation as a reason," the DMK president added.
Expressing apprehensions on the proposed delimitation exercise, the CM said it was the DMK that raised the first voice asserting the rights of the state after realising that Tamil Nadu would be affected by the proposed exercise. He also attacked his rival and AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami over the delimitation issue.
Recalling efforts made by the DMK to raise the issue of population-based delimitation, he said an all-party meeting and a meeting of CMs under the auspices of the Joint Action Committee seeking fair delimitation were convened. It sought to freeze delimitation for 25 years and stick to it based on the 1971 Census population.
"We urged the union government that states which successfully implemented population control programmes must not be punished," he added.
The party came up with "Tamil Nadu poradum, Tamil Nadu vellum" (Tamil Nadu will struggle, Tamil Nadu will win) and this is DMK's stand, he said.
"However, Palaniswami, who is seeking votes for the entry of the BJP through the backdoor, has till date been mute over delimitation, and this is a betrayal of the people of Tamil Nadu."
