Stockholm, April 17: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived here on Monday evening to a warm welcome on the first leg of his three-nation tour of Europe that will also see him going to Britain and Germany.
Breaking protocol, Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven received Modi at the airport here with a warm handshake.
This is the first prime ministerial visit from India to Sweden in 30 years after the visit of Rajiv Gandhi in 1988.
On Tuesday, Modi will hold a bilateral summit with Lofven following which a number of agreements are expected to be signed.
This apart, Modi and Lofven will attend a round table of Swedish CEOs.
India and Sweden will on Tuesday also co-host the first ever India-Nordic Summit, where, apart from Modi and Lofven, the Prime Ministers of the other four Nordic countries of Denmark, Finland, Iceland and Norway will also be present.
Modi will hold separate bilateral meetings with the leaders of the other four Nordic countries on the sidelines of the summit.
From Sweden, Modi will leave for Britain where he will hold a bilateral summit with British Prime Minister Theresa May on April 18.
On April 19-20, he will attend this year's Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in London.
While returning from Britain on April 20, he will stop over in Germany where he will a meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
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Adityanath govt has completely failed to maintain Taj Mahal, alleges Akhilesh
Lucknow (PTI): Samajwadi Party supremo Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday raised questions over maintenance of the Taj Mahal in Agra and attacked the Yogi Adityanath government saying it should be a "living and active" example, not just a "monument".
Yadav, who shared a viral video in which a plant could be seen sprouting from the dome of the Taj Mahal, said the monument might develop cracks due to the roots.
In a post on X, he said, "The BJP government and its dormant departments have completely failed to maintain the Taj Mahal, the wonder that attracts tourists from all over the world."
Yadav went on to say, "There is a possibility of rusting of the metal of the urn on the main dome. Water is dripping from the main dome. There is news of plants growing in the dome. If the roots of trees like these grow, then the Taj Mahal may crack."
He also highlighted problems of monkey menace and water logging in the Taj Mahal complex.
"The Taj Mahal complex has become a sanctuary for monkeys. There is a problem of waterlogging in the Taj Mahal complex. The tourists are worried whether they should admire the Taj Mahal or deal with the problems," Yadav said, adding due to all these reasons, the country's image is tarnished at the global level.
Last week, the main dome of the Taj witnessed water seepage due to incessant rains but officials said there was no damage to the arched roof.
Yadav asked where crores of rupees of funds that come for the maintenance of Taj Mahal are going.
"The government should be a living and active example, not just a monument," he added.
