Modi inaugurates Janakpur-Ayodhya bus link, pledges Rs 100 crore aid
Janakpur (Nepal), May 11: In a bid to mend ties with its Himalayan neighbour, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Nepal on Friday on a two-day visit and launched the Janakpur-Ayodhya bus service besides pledging Rs 100 crore aid to develop Janakpur city.
Visiting Nepal for the first time since the 2015 border blockade blamed on India crippled Nepal's economy, Modi -- calling himself a pilgrim -- said his government gave top priority to relations with Kathmandu under his Neighbourhood First Policy.
He later held talks with Nepal President Bidhya Devi Bhandari where the two leaders renewed their commitment to take their relations to new heights.
The Indian leader kicked off his visit through Janakpur where he performed special prayers with his Nepali counterpart K.P. Sharma Oli at the Ram Janaki temple. Then they inaugurated the "Ramayan Circuit" to promote tourism in Nepal and India.
"This will act as a foundation for strong people-to-people ties between our two countries," Modi said. The circuit is a part of Modi's vision to build a 650-km connectivity project.
Modi told Oli that he was honoured "to be received you the way you welcomed me here".
"Mere Bhai, this welcome is an honour to all Indian citizens," Modi said. This is Modi's third visit to Nepal since he became Prime Minister in 2014.
The Indian leader described his visit as "that of a pilgrim rather than as a Prime Minister" and participated in the civic reception bestowed upon him by Janakpur Sub-Metropolitan City at the Rangabhumi Maidan. He was felicitated with a garland weighing 121 kg and a key to Janakpur city.
Addressing thousands, Modi said: "Ayodhya is incomplete without Janakidham. Similarly, Nepal is incomplete without India and India is incomplete without Nepal. Our ties are religious, based of deep faith and historical and complement to each others."
He began his speech in Maithali language followed by Bhojpuri and Nepali. He completed the rest of his address in Hindi. "Without Nepal, India's faith, belief and history are incomplete. Our 'Dhaam' is incomplete and Ram is also incomplete."
Modi announced assistance of Rs 100 crore for the development of Janakpur and said it will be added in the Ramayana Circuit while Lumbini will be included in the Buddhist Circuit.
Modi said he wanted to help Nepal to achieve development and prosperity, adding that he wanted to enhance better connectivity with Nepal through highways, information ways, transmission lines, railways, waterways and airways.
"We know that the regional development is connected with the development of Nepal... History is witness to the struggles faced together by India and Nepal. India is moving ahead to be one of the economic giants of the world and Nepal is following suit.
"These connectivity measures will help Nepal to get better market access, thereby encouraging the establishment of industries and employment creation."
He said the two sides can work on 5Ts -- Tradition, Trade, Tourism, Technology and Transport.
After completing his engagements in Janakpur, Modi arrived in Kathmandu where he was accorded a 21 gun salute and a guard of honour.
Modi paid a courtesy call on President Bhandari at the Rastrapati Bhawan and discussed matters relating to bilateral relations and mutual concern.
"The two leaders renewed their commitment to take our friendly relations to new heights, said External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar.
Similarly, Modi also called on Vice President Nanda Bahadur Pun and held a discussion with Nepali Foreign Minister Pradeep Gyawali about areas of mutual interest.
He was scheduled to hold one-one-one talks with Oli where various India funded projects in Nepal will be discussed followed by delegation level talks and joint press briefing. Modi will also lay the foundation stone of Arun III hydroelectricity project in Sankhuwasabha district in eastern Nepal, undertaken by India's Sutlej Jal Vidyut Nigam, through video conferencing.
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Siddaramaiah backs TN CM's call for renewed discourse on Centre-State relations
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has written to his counterpart in Tamil Nadu, M K Stalin, expressing the state's strong support for a renewed national discourse on Centre–State relations.
Siddaramaiah said he will urge the union government to provide an institutional platform - such as a revitalised Inter-State Council - for all states to deliberate and restore balance in our federal structure.
Taking to social media platform 'X', the Karnataka CM said federalism is not a political demand - it is part of the basic structure of our Constitution.
"Over the years, increasing centralisation in fiscal and legislative matters has disturbed the delicate balance envisioned by our Constitution makers. States must have the authority and fiscal space to fulfil the responsibilities entrusted to them. India’s strength lies in cooperative federalism, constitutional trust, and respect for diversity," he said.
He assured that Karnataka stands ready to engage constructively in strengthening India’s democratic and federal framework.
Siddaramaiah has written to the TN CM in response to Stalin's letter dated February 20, 2026, forwarding Part 1 of the report of the high-level committee on Union-State relations.
In his letter dated March 2, Siddaramaiah acknowledged and appreciated the initiative taken by the Tamil Nadu government in initiating the report, which seeks "constitutional correction".
Noting that the questions raised in the report go to the heart of India's constitutional morality, the chief minister said federalism was not an act of administrative convenience but a structural guarantee against concentration of power.
"Over the decades, however, a phenomenon of incremental centralisation has altered the federal balance through expansive interpretations of the Concurrent List, conditional fiscal transfers, centrally designed schemes with diminishing State flexibility, and procedural bottlenecks in governor's assent," Siddaramaiah said in the letter.
He claimed that what was intended as cooperative federalism has increasingly resembled "coercive federalism".
In the letter, Siddaramaiah said Karnataka shares many of the concerns articulated in the committee's report.
"We have consistently emphasised that fiscal federalism must align authority with responsibility. Articles 268 to 281, read with the role of the Finance Commission under Article 280 and the GST framework under Article 279A, cannot operate in a manner that dilutes the fiscal sovereignty of States. The doctrine of subsidiarity, that governance should occur at the most immediate level consistent with efficiency, is not alien to our constitutional design; it is implicit within it," he added.
He stressed that Karnataka, like Tamil Nadu, has been vocal in asserting the legitimate constitutional space of states, whether in matters of language policy, education, public health, fiscal devolution, or legislative autonomy.
"These are not sectional claims; they are constitutional claims. They arise from a principled commitment to pluralism, diversity, and democratic accountability," the letter stated.
At this juncture, Siddaramaiah said it is imperative that all states, irrespective of political affiliations, join hands in constructive federal dialogue. Federal renewal cannot be a solitary endeavour of one or two States; it must emerge as a collective articulation.
"The objective, as your letter rightly emphasises, is not to weaken the union but to right-size it, to ensure that national energy is concentrated on genuinely national priorities, while states are trusted with spheres constitutionally entrusted to them," he added.
In this regard, he further stated that it would be both appropriate and necessary for the union government to provide an institutional platform for all states to deliberate upon these questions.
"Whether through a revitalised Inter-State Council under Article 263, a special conclave of Chief Ministers, or a structured constitutional review dialogue, the union must facilitate a forum where states can place their recommendations formally, transparently, and deliberatively. The absence of such structured engagement has contributed to the perception that cooperative federalism has receded from lived practice," he added.
