India, May 16 -- Several politicians and activists have joined Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call for austerity measures, with the latest being social activist, banker and Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis's wife Amruta Fadnavis.

Amruta Fadnavis, a singer and artist, said that she had been invited to walk the red carpet at the Cannes film festival, but had skipped the event owing to PM Modi's austerity call.

She further stated that while a Paithani - silk saree originating from the town of Paithan in Maharashtra - had already been designed for her to showcase Maharashtra's heritage on a global stage, she had decided to put "nation first".

"I had received an invitation from the prestigious Cannes Film Festival to walk the re...