4  Pure Politics THE ECONOMIC TIMES | MUMBAI | THURSDAY | 27 JULY 2017

REAL AGENDA While has robust counter-terror partnership with Russia, it is trying to impress China to act tough against Pak-based terror masterminds and infrastructure Doval to Urge BRICS for Stronger Counter-terrorism Cooperation cooperation within the bloc to in- DipanjanRoy.Chaudhury clude measures for denying terror- @timesgroup.com A standalone Yang- Doval may ists access to finance and terror- hardware, such as equipment, arms New Delhi: India will urge greater Doval meeting is emphasise and ammunition, persons familiar Govt Says All Aspects counter-terror cooperation with fo- expected to discuss need for a with the matter said. cus on denying terrorists access to Doval is expected to emphasise the finance, sanctuaries and weapons current border global legal need for a global legal regime to deal of Privacy Not Under when National Security Adviser with the international terrorism. (NSA) A K Doval meets his counter- stand-off but this regime to The situation in Iraq and Syria, parts from BRICS member states in might not immediately fight global where ISIS is on retreat, is also likely China on Thursday and Friday. to figure at the BRICS NSA meet. Fundamental Rights Doval will seek to expand counter end the crisis terror Besides, the Afghan situation will terrorism cooperation within the also figure in the deliberations IN SUPREME COURT AG KK Venugopal says BRICS nations, when he attends a The NSA will also stress the need to meeting with his counterparts from Beijing has done little to act against meeting of the BRICS leaders at NSA meet will contribute in shaping combat terrorism in all its manifes- right of privacy of few cannot override right China, Brazil, Russia and South Islamabad. Hamburg in Germany saw Chinese security component of declaration tation, without making a distinction to food, shelter, jobs for 270 million poor Africa, persons familiar with the is- Yang Jiechi, the State Councillor of President Xi Jinping praising the of the Hamburg Summit. between “good terrorists” and “bad sue said. While India has robust China, will host the meeting. momentum the bloc received during Meanwhile, a standalone Yang- terrorists”. them. “Most of these people lead an counter-terror partnership with Notwithstanding the stand-off at the chairmanship of India in 2016, be- Doval meeting on the sidelines is ex- Beijing’s persistent policy of block- Samanwaya.Rautray animal existence on footpaths, with- Russia and expanding cooperation border, India and China are keen to fore it was passed on to his country. pected to discuss current border ing Delhi’s bid to bring terrorists in- @timesgroup.com out any privacy,” he said. “The right in Afghanistan & West Asia, it is try- maintain momentum of BRICS. Prime Minister Narendra Modi stand-off but this might not immedi- cluding Jaish chief Masood Azhar of personal liberty of some cannot ing to impress China to act tough Russia, a close partner of both India also said at the same meeting that ately end the crisis. based in Pakistan under United New Delhi: Even if privacy is a fun- override their right to life.” against Pakistan-based terror mas- and China, is also keen to keep India would extend full cooperation Doval will call upon his counter- Nations sanctions has been one of damental right, it would not be abso- Venugopal pointed out that both the terminds and infrastructure. BRICS a vibrant group. to China in holding the next summit parts from the BRICS nations to the several irritants between the two lute but a qualified right that would right to personal liberty and life But given nature of Sino-Pak ties, Earlier this month at an informal at Xiamen in September. The BRICS strive to expand counterterrorism nations over the past couple of years. yield to other rights, especially those could be taken away through validly of the poor, attorney general KK enacted laws such as death penalty Venugopal argued in the Supreme and incarceration laws. Court on Wednesday. The AG dismissed the legal chal- Shah, Irani The right to privacy can be included lenge to Aadhaar as individual-specif- BJP, Congress Big Guns Watch As Patel in the protection of personal liberty ic. “You are an individual. You are not guaranteed under Article 21 of the even a class. Are you entitled to claim to Contest Constitution in some cases, but it a fundamental right when biometrics would have to make way for the right is essential to lifting the people out of Faces Tricky Battle in Polls RS Elections to life of 270 million poor people and their animal existence?” their right to food, shelter and em- The sub-text of his argument was polls decide not to vote for Patel in then, BJP too may be doing the same. ployment, the government said. The RS, he could still make it with the Incidentally, Patel is reportedly from AG insisted that this was his alterna- BIGGER PICTURE Vaghela’s dramatic remaining 49 votes. But the big ques- At a Glance grooming his son Faisal for helping tive submission and he was not con- tion is whether Vaghela has kept him make his electoral debut from in DP.Bhattacharya ceding any legal ground on this score. AG says revolt & 8 party MLAs more “sleeper cells” among Highly-trusted political the December Assembly polls from a @timesgroup.com “I will argue that the right to pri- Congress legislators with a design secretary of Congress chief seat from his base. “Faisal has been vacy is not a fundamental right in both right to cross-voting for BJP strike during RS elections. associated with social work in the Gandhinagar: BJP national the Aadhaar case,” he told a nine- A real signal of how far the BJP AICC treasurer under constituency so he is a known face. If president Amit Shah and textile judge bench that is debating wheth- personal lib- presidential candidate central leadership really wants to he were to win an Assembly seat from and I&B minister Smriti Irani er the right to privacy is a funda- go after Patel will come from , he would be a natural claim- will contest the Rajya Sabha mental right. The bench was formed erty and life could be have thickened the plot whether the saffron party will AICC general secretary under ant for ticket in 2019 elec- election from Gujarat. Shah is while hearing petitions related to field just two candidates for its P V Narasimha Rao tions,” said a Gujarat Congress leader. currently an MLA from linking Aadhaar with the perma- taken away through winnable two RS seats, or will it Given Patel’s demonstrated mas- Ahmedabad’s Naranpura, in the nent account number issued to in- C L Manoj & Nidhi Sharma field a third one– a direct or a Parliamentary secretary to tery in political management and outgoing House and this will be come tax payers. Venugopal pref- validly enacted laws proxy nominee to make the fight survival skills in the perennially slip- his first stint as a parliamentar- aced his arguments by stating that New Delhi: Amidst the dust and for the third slot, making it the pery inner corridors of Congress ian. privacy was not a single right, but a that privacy was a claim that can be din in the ongoing Parliament ses- extremely tricky preferential AICC joint secretary under high command for decades, not even With Shah and conglomerate of many rights. put on a higher pedestal in a devel- sion, top leaders of both Congress voting system. Congress camp, the most audacious BJP opponent Irani entering “Some of these sub-species may be oped country. But the same argu- and BJP are pointing their political taking no chance at all, is also Three-term Lok Sabha MP will treat grounding Patel an easy the fray, the part of personal liberty,” he argued. ments cannot be advanced in a devel- antenna to Gujarat, where a battle of wooing two NCP MLAs as well task. “It may have become a little Rajya Sabha elec- “Right to personal liberty of some oping country, where people sell nerves is on over filling three Rajya other two independents. But, Four-term Rajya Sabha MP tricky, but we all know Ahmed bhai tion for the three would yield to right to life of the 270 their children for a price to stave off Sabha vacancies next month. excels when it comes to dealing with With Shah seats in Gujarat million poor and their right to food, hunger, he said. The prime focus is on Ahmed Patel, Ex-Gujarat PCC & Youth such situations,” said a Congress MP. and Irani has become more shelter and employment.” “Do not apply US standards to the political secretary to Congress Congress president Yet, the hitherto unfamiliar aggres- entering the interesting. “As He urged the court to consider any India. The standards of deprivation president Sonia Gandhi, who has sion the political Delhi is witnessing fray, the RS of now, only two decision in the light of its impact on (of right to privacy) cannot be the filed his nomination on Wednesday CWC members for decades in the Modi/Shah-led ruling estab- elections for candidates have Aadhaar, a unique, 12-digit identity same. Aadhaar is a tremendous exer- to renew his RS term. He is suddenly lishment’s outreach in checkmating 3 seats been declared number, which would ensure that cise which has never been done be- finding himself in some unexpected rivals with unexpected yorkerss, in Guj be- from Gujarat by subsidies reach those who need fore,” he said. political turbulence. Though under Given Patel’s demon- there are many worried faces in comes more the party,” said normal circumstances – as was the strated mastery in Congress side. Because Patel is no interesting Bharat Pandya, case during the last two decades – political manage- ordinary Congress leader. He is Gujarat BJP Flood-hit Assam Cries Foul After Patel’s return to RS would have been ment and survival Sonia Gandhi’s long-trusted eyes spokesperson a foregone conclusion, the dramatic and ears in Congress leadership, Including Congress senior revolt of Shankarsinh Vaghela and skills in the perenni- AICC’s multitasker in political man- leader Ahmed Patel, there are PM Modi’s Aerial Survey in Guj eight party MLAs cross-voting for ally slippery agement, resource-mobilisation and only three candidates for three BJP presidential candidate Ram inner corridors of prime political deal-maker, within seats falling vacant in Gujarat so relief for Assam and said “the PM Nath Kovind have thickened the plot and with allies. So, if BJP takes a full- far. However a defector Congress Bikash.Singh @timesgroup.com remembers Assam only during elec- and heightened the suspense. Congress high com- blown shot at Patel, it is as good as MLA could file a nomination as tions”. Assam health minister Delicate number game and the mand for decades, hitting at the very core of the Sonia an independent to scuttle the Guwahati: Prime Minister Narendra Himanta Biswa Sarma, however, plots make Gujarat RS polls interest- not even the most au- establishment, something that possibility of Ahmed Patel. With Modi’s aerial survey of flood-hit countered the allegation. “Some peo- ing. Congress, with 57 MLAs, needs dacious BJP makes Patel’s victory crucial for the Shah’s nomination, speculation Gujarat and announcement of a ple are trying to spark controversy only a minimum of 45 votes to retain AICC establishment. Adding to that is gaining ground that he may be `500-crore interim relief package has that Modi has visited Gujarat and not the RS seat. But suspense is about opponent will treat is the delicacy of the time as Patel inducted in the Union Cabinet. sparked a sharp reaction from oppo- visited Assam. Are we showpiece what is cooking between BJP central grounding Patel an and many other top party leaders are That would, however, necessi- sition parties in Assam, which is re- that someone will come to see us,” leadership and the Vaghela camp. easy task in the middle of piloting a harmonis- tate the election of a new presi- covering from floods. Sarma said. At present, an inter-min- Even if the eight Congress MLAs, ing transaction of Congress from dent for the ruling part. Congress attacked the NDA govern- isterial central team is in the state for who cross-voted, during Presidential Sonia’s leadership to Rahul’s. ment for not announcing any interim damage assessment.

Centre Plans to Hire Foreign PR Agencies to Boost Tourism

Our Political Bureau

New Delhi: A substantial percent- age of foreign tourists visiting India are women and most of them do not report any major issues during their visits, according to a government analysis, which also shows that the country continues to receive repeat visitors despite the “negative public- ity” abroad. To counter the negative media coverage over the safety and security of tourists visiting India, the government is planning to hire foreign-based public relations (PR) agencies. A top government official told ET that the government plans to hire agencies in the UK and the US, the two countries from where India sees maximum tourist inflow. The official said the aim is to increase the tourist inflow from these nations by about 30% a year. “India is a country of peace-loving and law-abiding citizens. Move will be It is a safe destination to increase for all domestic and the tour- international tour- ist inflow ists, male or female. from these Like any other civil nations by society, there are ab- about 30% errations, and a few a year persons break the law now and then,” said a brief prepared by the govern- ment for PR agencies in the UK, which was reviewed by ET. The UK office of India Tourism also caters to other European coun- tries as well as Israel. Foreign tourist arrivals in India touched 48.85 lakh between January and June this year as against 41.69 lakh in the year ago period, registering a growth of 17.2%. The top source countries were Bangladesh, the US, the UK, Malaysia, Australia, China and Singapore. “The prime minister is not satisfied with the increase in foreign tourist numbers so far,” a top government official said, re- questing anonymity.