Amruta Fadnavis to skip Cannes visit, cites PM Modi’s call for austerity

Mumbai: Amruta Fadnavis, wife of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, said on Saturday that she decided not to attend the Cannes Film Festival in response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal for austerity.In a statement shared on social media, Fadnavis said she was invited to represent Maharashtra, its culture and the state’s handloom heritage at the prestigious film festival in France.She said a “magnificent handloom Paithani (saree) with Muniya Shela” was handcrafted at Yeola, Maharashtra’s historic weaving city, by three local artisans over several months for the occasion.“However, with the austerity measures declared by our Honourable Prime Minister, including measures to avoid international travel, I felt it was important to place our nation first,” she said.“This was not an easy decision, especially knowing the love, effort and months of craftsmanship invested in this beautiful representation of India,” she added.The CM’s wife said she believed “the greatest honour lies in standing with the nation when it matters the most”.“While I may not walk the red carpet this time, I look forward to continuing to support the spirit and talent of our people and to promoting our handloom heritage wherever I can,” she said.