PM starts three-nation tour on Wednesday

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a three-nation tour on Wednesday, during which he will hold a bilateral summit with the European Union (EU) in Brussels, attend the Nuclear Security Summit (NSS) in Washington, and become the first Indian PM to go to Saudi Arabia in six years. Modi will be in Brussels on Wednesday for the first India-EU summit in four years. His office has announced that the terrorist attacks in the city will not alter his plans.

EU Ambassador to India Tomasz Kozlowski said in a media interaction that India was an extremely important partner and the economic and social agenda of the government was especially attractive. He said the relationship had not met both sides' expectations, despite the potential.

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With India being an important trading partner of the 28-nation politico-economic union, he said the EU was "really interested" in completing a free trade agreement with it.

PM Modi had met presidents of the European Commission and European Council, Jean-Claude Juncker and Donald Tusk, respectively, on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Antalya, Turkey last November.

Modi will be in Washington the next day for the NSS, expected to be attended by leaders of around 50 countries.

On his way back, Modi will stop in Riyadh. This assumes significance in the face of the current regional situation and strained relations between the Gulf kingdom and Iran, another strategically important country for India.

Saudi Arabia is also the palce of livelihood to nearly three million Indian expatriates, mostly blue-collar workers.

SP chief's daughter-in-law Aparna enters politics

Aparna Yadav, second daughter-in-law of Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, has entered politics and will be the party's candidate from a Lucknow Assembly seat next year.

Aparna, 26, will contest the 2017 Assembly election from Lucknow's Cantonment seat, senior minister and Mulayam's brother, Shivpal Singh Yadav, said. At present, the seat is being held by Congress' Rita Bahuguna Joshi. Aparna is wife of Mulayam's younger son, Prateek Yadav. The SP chief, his elder daughter-in-law, Dimple Yadav, his nephews Dharmendra Yadav, Akhshay Pratap and Tej Pratap are Lok Sabha members.

While another brother Ramgopal Yadav is in the Rajya Sabha, his elder son UP Chief Minister Akhilesh is a member of the Legislative Council.

Vijender Gupta in trouble for seeking abolition of RS

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Vijender Gupta appears to be in trouble with Delhi Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel seeking an explanation from him, after a communication from Rajya Sabha chairman Hamid Ansari to initiate necessary action against him for allegedly favouring "abolition" of the Upper House. Ansari had asked the Delhi Speaker to take necessary action against Gupta holding that "the matter seems to involve prima facie question of privilege" while acting on a complaint by JD(U) MP K C Tyagi, who accused the BJP MLA of casting aspersions on the members of Rajya Sabha.

Referring to a newspaper article written by Gupta, who is leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly, Tyagi alleged that the BJP MLA sought to underline the differences between the two Houses of Parliament and had suggested abolition of the Rajya Sabha.

Pak team to probe Pathankot attack arrives

A five-member joint investigation team (JIT) from Pakistan that included an Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) official reached New Delhi on Sunday to carry out a probe into the attack at the Indian Air Force base at Pathankot, the first-ever such visit to the country to probe a terrorism case. The team is headed by the chief of the Punjab's counter terrorism department (CTD), Muhammad Tahir Rai and, comprises Lahore's Deputy Director General Intelligence Bureau, Mohammad Azim Arshad, ISI official Lt Col Tanvir Ahmed, Military Intelligence official Lt Col Irfan Mirza and Gujaranwala CTD Investigating Officer Shahid Tanveer.