inside TRACK COOMI KAPOOR

STRAIGHT SHOOTING

NSA AJIT Doval has indicated to friends that at 79 it may be time to hang up his boots and play with his grandchildren. Although his son Shaurya Doval was not given a BJP ticket from Uttarakhand, it is wrong to assume that the veteran sleuth in the James Bond mould is out of favour. Doval was largely responsible for India adopting a more offensive foreign policy, refusing to turn a blind eye towards anti-nationals operating from outside the country.

Over a dozen avowed enemies of the Indian state have been killed in safe havens abroad under murky circumstances during the last three years. Some claim orders for such killings emanated from India, though several such deaths were attributed to gang warfare. US Ambassador Eric Garcetti’s recent stern message to countries crossing the red line is seen as an implied reference to the assassination plot on American citizen and Khalistani separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. Doval’s remark in Kazakhstan last week about “shunning double standards in combating terror”’ appeared to be a counter.

The US authorities, fighting a legal battle in Czechoslovakia to extradite Nikhil Gupta, accused of involvement in Pannun’s attempted murder, are hopeful of the trial against Gupta in a US court beginning by May. American sleuths suspect that the government official who conveyed the shoot suggestion telephonically has been transferred out of RAW to the BSF. The Canadians, meanwhile, hope that court records of the Pannun case in the US bolster Canadian Premier Justin Trudeau’s claim of “credible allegations” against India in the Nijjar case.

STAR-CROSSED SEARCH

A few union ministers and a Maharashtra leader were deputed by the BJP high command to recruit some Bollywood faces for the 2024 polls. Their mission was largely unsuccessful, with Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar, Madhuri Dixit, Jackie Shroff, Dimple Kapadia and Urmila Matondkar turning down their request to be involved. Bollywood realises that in today’s polarised atmosphere, it is wisest to steer clear of politics. Some who attended the Ram Mandir consecration ceremony in Ayodhya received a lot of flak on social media.

NOT BITING BAIT

Varun Gandhi had the opportunity to fight the Lok Sabha elections on a BJP ticket, if he had consented to contest against cousin Priyanka Gandhi in the event she fought the polls from the family bastion of Rae Bareli. He declined. If the BJP permitted Maneka Gandhi to stand from Sultanpur again, despite Varun’s rebellious remarks on the farmers’ agitation or youth unemployment, it was because the BJP calculated it was wiser to have the two Gandhis on its side rather than them being propped up by the joint Opposition.

In December, Varun had conveyed his unhappiness to the PM over his political role. Earlier this month, at a fairly cordial meeting, Varun reiterated his sentiments politely, explaining that it was best he took time off to contemplate his political future since he was not to contest from Pilibhit.

NO ONE INDISPENSABLE

Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik, at a closeddoor party meet of senior leaders, uncharacteristically lost his cool with his deemed successor, V K Pandian. He made clear that no one was indispensable. When he first came to Odisha, A U Singh Deo assumed he could call the shots, then it was his onetime aide Pyarimohan Mohapatra. Jay Panda and Pinaki Mishra had similar delusions. Pandian had wrongly assumed he had carte blanche to work out an electoral alliance with the BJP, Patnaik said.

DAIS FULL, NOT GROUNDS

The entire Opposition leadership responded to the call to attend last Sunday’s rally at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan. While the dais was filled to capacity, the crowds on the ground left much to be desired. A leading newspaper put the figure at 10,000.

The only state which contributed a large contingent was Punjab. Haryana Congress leader Bhupinder Hooda, known for his ability to mobilise Jat crowds, clearly did not exert himself. Nor did other Opposition leaders from neighbouring states. The mystery was why AAP could not put up a more impressive show on its home ground. AAP is feeling the absence of its top leaders and the lack of an organised cadre.

There was a slight show of one-upmanship between the allies. AAP put up a large poster of Kejriwal behind bars, overshadowing the main INDIA rally streamer, to which the Delhi Congress objected. Only after the AAP poster was removed, did the three Gandhis walk up to the dais. Sonia Gandhi was given premiere placement, next to the wives of two jailed politicians — a current CM and a former CM.