With Team Anna asking people not to back their party in Hisar Lok Sabha bypolls, chief ministers of three Congress-ruled states and senior leaders on Monday hit back at the Jan Lokpal Bill champions, dubbing them as agents of Opposition "trying to grind their own axe in the guise of fighting graft".
Anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare feels there is no 'ideological confusion' in his anti-Congress posture and the appeal to elect 'good people' from all parties.
Days before the July 25 indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar in Delhi, Team Anna is in full swing, 'preparing' the local populace. The team members have clearly stated that they have no choice but to go ahead with a 'do or die' campaign, to press for a strong Jan Lokpal Bill. Priyanka reports from New Delhi.
The new draft aimed at checking political and administrative corruption, which was presented to the government at the joint drafting committee meeting on Lokpal, retained the original provision to bring judges of the higher judiciary within the ambit of the Lokpal, notwithstanding the reservations of anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare.
Anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare on Thursday charged 'political and criminal forces' of trying to dilute the nationwide movement against graft by defaming and criticising the campaign for a comprehensive Lokpal bill.
Anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare on Wednesday ruled out his joining politics or his movement taking a political turn.
Veteran activist Anna Hazare's campaign for Jan Lokpal Bill and his crusade against corruption has given the beleaguered Opposition, particularly the Bharatiya Janata Party, a platform to contest the Lok Sabha polls.
Justice Santosh Hegde on Monday disapproved the move to bring breach of privilege motion against Kiran Bedi and actor Om Puri for their controversial remarks about parliamentarians at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi saying such a motion should be used in exceptional cases.
That the political philosophy of Anna Hazare closely resonates with the overall anti-democratic Hindutva ethos owes, in part, to the Brahminical worldview that they share, says Yogi Sikand
Anna Hazare's fast entered into the 12th day on Saturday as Parliament is all set to discuss the Lokpal issue which could lead to the Gandhian calling off his hunger strike.
Lok Satta party president Dr Jayaprakash Narayan may have his differences with Anna Hazare over the Lokpal Bill, but he salutes the Gandhian's efforts to bring the youth and the middle class to the forefront of the anti-corruption movement. Sheela Bhatt reports
All four formulations of the Lokpal Bill have a common feature that addresses a major obstacle to anti-corruption legislation. However, the four versions differ on several aspects.
The biggest problem today is that all political parties have become united, which is disastrous to the cause, says Justice Santosh Hegde.
Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday forced adjournment of Rajya Sabha till noon when it created uproar over alleged shift in government stand on anti-graft activist Anna Hazare's Jan Lokpal Bill.
The desperation of the middle class in heralding Anna Hazare as the Second Gandhi is symptomatic of a typical Indian mindset, says Navneet Anand
Politicians, legislators and bureaucrats from Maharashtra played a major role in facilitating talks between Team Anna and the government, reports Toral Varia
Bharatiya Janata Party Member of Parliament Varun Gandhi, who has given a notice in Lok Sabha for tabling Anna Hazare's Jan Lokpal Bill as a private members' bill, on Wednesday sat with protesters at Ramlila Maidan where the Gandhian is on a fast. Wearing a green kurta and sporting a tricolour badge, the 31-year-old Philibit MP came to the ground around 8:30 am and sat in the protesters' enclosure. "I have come here as a common man," Gandhi said.
All business establishments in Guwahati on Tuesday downed their shutters for the day to express solidarity with Team Anna's agitation against corruption and to demand the adoption of the Jan Lokpal Bill.
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.
Former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit on Saturday said Arvind Kejriwal had no option but to resign after losing majority on the floor of the assembly.
As Anna Hazare's fast entered the fifth day, his team on Saturday demanded early introduction of the Jan Lokpal Bill in Parliament and said government can get it passed in days if it has the will.
The Congress core committee has rejected the demand made by Team Anna to withdraw the Lokpal bill from Parliament and replace it with the Jan Lokpal bill.
Insisting that there was no wrongdoing in the arrest of Anna Hazare, Home Minister P Chidambaram on Wednesday said the government would deal with him "administratively and politically" but made it clear that his Jan Lokpal Bill was not acceptable.
The San Francisco Bay Area unit of India Against Corruption on Monday slammed the arrest of activist Anna Hazare. Nearly 150 members of the Indian American community gathered at the Civic Centre Plaza in Los Angeles to show their support to Anna Hazare on the eve of Independence Day.They expressed their support for Hazare and the millions of Indians who are demanding the Jan Lokpal Bill to end corruption in India.
For the first time, Team Anna will have a new mascot in its posters with Arvind Kejriwal's images being used in campaign material seeking support for its indefinite fast from July 25.
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.
"Feel nostalgic when I see this picture. We had burnt government's 'jokepal' at that time," Kejriwal tweeted, attaching a picture of him holding a burning copy of the draft Lokpal back in 2011.
Kejriwal runs his party with the proverbial iron fist and has learnt to temper his aggression, say people close to him.
As Anna Hazare stepped up his campaign for the Jan Lokpal Bill, Congress on Sunday accused the activist of insulting Parliament and indulging in politics by attacking Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and party general secretary Rahul Gandhi.
Initiating their dialogue with political parties, the Anna Hazare team on Friday met senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader L K Advani to drum up support for their version of the Lokpal Bill.
Alleging that crores of rupees are being spent to jeopardise the Jan Lokpal bill, Anna Hazare on Thursday said the activists will not lose sight of their goal and will not reply to continuous innuendos made by those seeking "cheap publicity".
Team Anna member Kiran Bedi on Wednesday asked as to what was stopping ruling Congress from declaring its resolve to create an effective Lokpal through a special session of Parliament or an ordinance in case Parliament by any chance is stalled.
Holding that those backing Anna Hazare's movement against corruption don't know what they are for, Congress member of Parliament Shashi Tharoor has said the Jan Lokpal will create a "supra-institution" that would be a law unto itself.
Seeking to mount pressure on government, Anna Hazare on Tuesday threatened to launch another hunger strike from the last day of Parliament's Winter Session if a strong Jan Lokpal Bill is not passed by then.
Amid clamour for its revamp over allegations of financial conduct by some key members, the core committee of Team Anna met in Ghaziabad on Saturday with Kiran Bedi asserting that there were no differences within the movement.
Till corruption is removed from the country, people would not get their true freedom, anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare said in Guwahati on Friday.
Aam Aadmi Party convener Arvind Kejriwal will go to Ralegan Siddhi on Thursday to extend support to Anna Hazare, who is on indefinite hunger strike for passage of Jan Lokpal Bill in the Parliament.
After having shaken up the United Progressive Alliance government through his fast at the Ramlila Grounds, Anna Hazare has now decided to focus on the Congress party as his enemy number 1.
Social activist Anna Hazare will kick off his nation-wide campaign against corruption from Uttar Pradesh next week. The renowned Gandhian, whose satyagrah compelled the Union government to concede his demand for a Jan Lokpal bill, will renew his movement in a big way from Varanasi, where he is scheduled to arrive along with his comrade-in-arms former top cop Kiran Bedi, right to information activist Arvind Kejriwal, and activist Swami Agnivesh on April 29.
"What was even more shocking that even someone like Anna Hazare, who was spearheading the movement against rising corruption in the country, did not care to ensure inclusion of a Dalit on the committee. After all he hails from Maharastra which gave birth to the greatest Dalit icon Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar, who led several movements for the upliftment of the downtrodden dalits," Mayawati said.
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