The sight of Rahul Gandhi moving around swiftly in his SUV in Lutyens' Delhi, playing a crucial role in resolving the crisis created by Anna Hazare's fast for the Jan Lokpal Bill, is a new one for many Congress leaders. After returning from the United States, where his mother and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi is under treatment for an undisclosed ailment, Gandhi has been working behind-the-scene. He has been working round-the-clock to break the deadlock over Hazare's fast.
Bharatiya Janata Party leader Arun Jaitley, said late Thrusday night that the discussions on the Jan Lokpal bill should be held within the provisions of the Parliamentary procedure.
Bharatiya Janata Party President Nitin Gadkari on Thursday announced that Team Anna's Jan Lokpal Bill could form the basis of discussions on Lokpal bill in the parliament.
Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley on Wednesday said that there is a need for a strong Lokpal Bill to deal with the menace of corruption.
Sources in the government have claimed that if most political leaders are in favour of withdrawing the government's Lokpal Bill -- at the all-party meeting scheduled to be held on Wednesday afternoon -- the government may agree to withdraw it. The all-party meet will be held on Wednesday at 3.30 pm at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's official residence at 7, Race Course road.
Dinesh Trivedi, a member of the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs, says, "Our government is seriously bothered about Anna's health. Why is Team Anna not requesting Annaji to break his fast, even once? I believe the government is more worried about Anna's health than even Team Anna."
The Anna Hazare movement, which has not only gripped the nation, has also caught the fancy of the average foreign tourist.
Swami Agnivesh, one of the 22 members of the core committee set up by activist Anna Hazare, claimed on Monday that there has been no response from the Centre so far to end the activist's indefinite fast against corruption. "In the last seven days, we have never had anyone mediating between us and the government about the Jan Lokpal Bill," he said. He rejected media reports about the government roping in any mediators.
Did Team Anna steal the limelight from 94-year-old Shambhu Dutt with their fight against corruption?
The finance ministry has received over 600 names of Indians who have accounts in HSBC Bank's Switzerland branch, from the government of France.These names were obtained by the French government after an employee of HSBC Bank became a whistleblower. He took refuge in France and brought along a long list of account holders who have allegedly stashed money in the Swiss branch of HSBC Bank. Now the Indian government is sitting tight on those names.
Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on Tuesday evening asked Delhi Police Commissioner B K Gupta to revoke the detention orders against veteran activist Anna Hazare and all his supporters with immediate effect, sources told rediff.com.
All Opposition political parties were united on Tuesday in their condemnation of the government's decision to detain Anna Hazare and his aides, hours before the Gandhian activist was scheduled to go on an indefinite fast against corruption in New Delhi. Leaders of the Left Front are scheduled to meet their counterparts in the Bharatiya Janata Party and other Opposition parties at 2 pm on Tuesday to chalk out their strategy in the wake of Hazare's detention.
"No fundamental right has been violated. Section 144 was already in place and anyone who breaks the law can be taken into preventive custody," Noted constituional expert Fali Nariman told rediff.com.
Social Activist Anna Hazare hit back at Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari for making false allegations against him and challenged the government to register a First Information Report against him and investigate the claims made by Tewari at a press conference.
Senior Bhartiya Janata Party vice president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi has condemned the manner in which the Congress and United Progressive Alliance ministers launched an all-out attack against Anna Hazare on Sunday --less than 48 hours before he embarks on the second indefinite fast -- to press for total acceptance of Jan Lokpal bill.
Union Home Minister Home Minister P Chidambaram on Friday denied that any decision has been taken with regard to the mercy petition filed by Afzal Guru, who has been given death sentence in the Parliament attack case.
Anurag Thakur, chief of the Bhartiya Janata Yuva Morcha, has alleged that Home Minister P Chidambaram directed the Delhi police to lathicharge peaceful demonstrates of his party who were proceeding to the Parliament to demand Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit's resignation for her role in the Commonwealth Games scam.
"Sonia Gandhi remained in the ICU for 24 hours and has thereafter been moved out. Her family has expressed gratitude on her behalf for all the messages and good wishes that have been sent to her," Congress media department head Janardhan Dwivedi said in a statement on Saturday.
Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Thursday underwent a surgery in the United States, the details of which are still not available.
In a major development in the Congress, the party has formed an informal committee comprising General Secretary Rahul Gandhi, spokesperson Janardan Dwivedi, political secretary to Sonia Gandhi Ahmed Patel and Defence Minister AK Antony to look into the party's affairs, as the Congress president will be away since she is undergoing treatment in the United States.
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