In the first major breakthrough in the week-long standoff, the government on Tuesday appointed Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee as its negotiator for talks with Anna Hazare and his aides over their demand for a strong Lokpal. Announcing the government's initiative, Hazare's close aide Arvind Kejriwal said the activist will decide as to who will represent his team in the talks with Mukherjee.
Demanding an impartial inquiry into the controversy surrounding Army, Team Anna on Tuesday alleged that the probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation and Intelligence Bureau will not bring out the truth as the bodies are "under the control of government".
In an apparent answer to crusader Anna Hazare's team mobilising the masses suffering corruption of the lower level bureaucracy, the government has quietly kicked of drafting of a Bill for creating a mechanism for the public services grievance redressal.
Team Anna on Monday invited leaders of all parties to Jantar Mantar on December 11, when Anna Hazare plans to sit on a day-long fast, to put their views on Lokpal Bill, a deviation from its stand on previous occasions when it did not allow politicians to share its platform.
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.
Adopting a tough posture, team Anna Hazare on Wednesday asked a Parliamentary panel to recommend to the government to withdraw the Lokpal Bill and come out with a fresh measure that deals with problem of corruption faced by the public.
The team held two rounds of talks at the protest site of Jantar Mantar, where Anna Hazare's fast entered the fourth day and that of Kejriwal, Rai and Manish Sisodia entered the eighth day.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati on Friday dared Team Anna to fight the next general elections if it wants the Jan Lokpal Bill to be passed in Parliament.
Swami Agnivesh, a close associate of Anna Hazare, was the target of the core Anna team which attacked him over a controversial video posted on Youtube where he is purportedly telling a person alleged to be a Union minister that government act tough with the fasting Gandhian.
Raking up the issue of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh-Team Anna "nexus", Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Friday alleged that Mohan Bhagwat, Anna Hazare and Govindacharya are "contradicting" one another over the issue.
As he prepares to go on a three-day fast for a strong Lokpal Bill, Anna Hazare and his team on Sunday shot off an open letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and MPs urging them to make the best possible law which includes provisions for an independent investigative wing for the ombudsman.
Even as Wednesday's serial low-intensity blasts in Pune may have managed to divert attention from Team Anna's ongoing anti-graft protest, police continue to look for clues into the attack.
The Centre has initiated a dialogue process with Team Anna at various levels to break the deadlock over the Lokpal issue, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Harish Rawat said on Sunday.
Lashing out at Abhishek Singhvi on the draft Lokpal Bill, Team Anna on Wednesday accused the Congress leader of disrespecting Parliament by going against its commitment of including lower bureaucracy and Citizens' Charter in the ambit of the ombudsman.
Sharp differences broke out among Team Anna, the government and the Opposition on Friday over the wording of the resolution for the debate in both Houses of Parliament on various drafts of the Lokpal Bill
Team Anna met in Noida on Monday amid a rift between them and yoga guru over the treatment meted out to Arvind Kejriwal in public and differences within them over attacking Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Under attack over allegations of financial misconduct and demands for its disbanding, Team Anna on Sunday decided to formulate a constitution for its anti-corruption movement and revamp the core committee after that.
Anna Hazare and his team on Tuesday spoke in different voices on the indefinite fast from Wednesday with the activist asserting that it is for Lokpal Bill while his aides said it is limited to their three demands, including a special probe into allegations against Union ministers.
Social activist Anna Hazare on Wednesday backed yoga guru Ramdev baba on his decision to go for fast against corruption.
Asserting that she will fight for the passage of the Lokpal bill in Parliament, a combative Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday hit out at the Opposition for "obstructionist" tactics and Team Anna for "deliberate and malicious" criticism of the government.
Janata Party President Subramanian Swamy on Saturday said that he was ready to extend support to social activist Anna Hazare provided he distances himself from the "Naxalites" in his team.
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".
Having plumped for electoral politics, Team Anna may soon face the acid test on whether to contest the upcoming assembly elections in Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh.
Hazare has served an ultimatum that he will wait for the government to take a decision on their demands in the next four days or else he will join his colleagues on fast from Sunday
The All India Congress Committee and Digvijay Singh again appeared to be not on the same page -- this time on the issue of seeking cooperation from Team Anna over exposing some of the dealings of two Gujarat businessmen allegedly close to the Ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in the state.
Activist Medha Patkar, who is part of Anna Hazare's core group, said in spite of talking about the broad issue, the Congress general secretary should have deliberated on the immediate issues raised by the Gandhian, whose fast for a strong Lokpal continued for the 11th day.
Two days ahead of Anna Hazare's fast for a strong Lokpal Bill, his team today stepped up attack on government questioning the "credibility" of the Standing Committee report on the issue saying it has only the support of 12 members.
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.
Former Law Minister Shanti Bhushan is the only prominent Team Anna member who has donated to the anti-corruption movement led by Anna Hazare, shelling out Rs 4 lakh, in the past six months.
As social activist Anna Hazare's fast entered the 10th day on Thursday, his team accused "some strong elements" in the government of nullifying the entire dialogue process and said they have become victims of Congress' "internal politics".
Talks between government and Team Anna Hazare ended in a deadlock on Wednesday tonight with the two sides failing to resolve the key issues, prompting the civil society to declare that they were "back to square one".
Anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare on Saturday said they are holding a meeting to decide on the future strategies.
Medha Patkar, a member of Team Anna, on Friday said there was a need for "overhauling" the group as it was facing a number of allegations and many members of the core committee were being targeted. At the same time, Patkar said she will not be attending Saturday's core committee meeting, which Anna Hazare and Justice Santosh Hegde have also decided to skip. "I don't think there is a difference of opinion," she said.
Social Activist Anna Hazare and his team have signed an agreement with the government to abide by certain conditions on the basis of which they will go ahead with the fast at Ramlila Grounds starting from Friday. Renu Mittal reports.
Indicating steps towards forming a political party, Team Anna on Friday announced launching of a "movement" and putting up candidates in the 2014 elections.
With Team Anna indicating that they may come out with a political alternative, the government on Thursday claimed that its stand on the movement by Anna Hazare and his team has been vindicated and it was glad that their intention has come out in the open.
Team Anna's core committee met in Monday at Ghaziabad amidst suggestions that the anti-corruption movement should not target a single political party in the future.
While senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh said on Tuesday that Anna Hazare must be praised for the 'good work' he has done in his native village Ralegan Siddhi, he continued his tirade against the social activist's movement and Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal.
With just three days left for Anna Hazare's fast to commence, members of India Against Corruption are running from pillar to post to secure requisite clearances for Anna's fast, reports Toral Varia Deshpande
Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray has dubbed as political rape Anna Hazare's "five-star, corporate hunger strike for trivial causes" and dismissed Team Anna members as a bunch of "worthless" persons.
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