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.
The government may have blinked first in the Anna Hazare case and permitted him to continue his fast, the real question remains to be answered: will the real issue be solved with this latest decision?
I applaud him. I salute him, said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Parliament on Thursday while speaking on Anna Hazare and the issue of corruption.
Even if Anna Hazare's protest is not an enduring solution, it would most certainly be a brake on the incorrigibility of the political and bureaucratic class, says Mahesh Vijapurkar.
The team that is forming the strategy to take on Anna Hazare is so confused and incoherent that in spite of Team Anna's few missteps, the UPA government is unable to counter them. Says a senior minister and a leader with political sense, "We are worried about losing the battle for minds." Sheela Bhatt reports.
Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Arun Jaitley on Friday said it was a "shame" that respected Gandhian Anna Hazare had to resort to fasting to protest against deep-rooted corruption in the country.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh came to the help of Anna Hazare who was shown the door by the political class of the country at the all party meeting.
Declaring government's commitment to a strong Lokpal, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday said Anna Hazare's demand for 'right to reject' provision in electoral law needs political consensus.
Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh on Saturday said Anna Hazare is "under the influence of people who have their separate political agenda" and asked Team Anna to wait for the decision of Parliament before attacking party leader Rahul Gandhi on the Lokpal Bill.
"I had a strong belief in Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, but now I do not have faith in him," Hazare said during his visit to Ratnagiri.
Anna Hazare and his supporters have given a two-page undertaking to the police on the activist's protest fast in Ramlila Maidan, saying they would abide by existing rules and regulations and the crowd will not exceed the capacity of the ground. In the undertaking signed by Anna Hazare himself and his associates -- Arvind Kejriwal, Prashant Bhushan, Kiran Bedi and Shanti Bhushan -- they also said that if any clause of it was violated, they would be liable to be prosecuted.
In an interview with CNN-IBN, author and activist Arundhati Roy outlines the reasons why she strongly opposes Anna Hazare's movement for the Jan Lokpal Bill
There was veiled criticism of the Manmohan Singh government by members of the Congress Working Committee for allowing Anna Hazare and his team to hijack a democratically elected government, and for the use of pressure and the threat of fasts to ensure that the government acted as per their diktat.
Mazloom Nadaf, an old, frail rickshaw puller and Right to Information Act activist in Bihar's Madhubani district, has been on fast for the last six days in support of social activist Anna Hazare's demand for a strong Lokpal in the country.
The tremendous response, especially from the youth of the country to a 74-year-old Gandhian, has put paid to many political dreams. It is the leadership vacuum that Anna Hazare has filled, write Col Anil Athale
Shooting off another letter to Anna Hazare on the eve of Hisar bypoll, Digvijay Singh, who is leading Congress' counter-attack, on Wednesday, raised the issue of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh support to the activist and cautioned him that those around him were keeping him in dark.
'He didn't implement good policies for good politics.' 'He never worked on comprehensive policy-making.' 'In Kejriwal's own constituency youths are jobless.'
Lashing out at Team Anna for its anti-Congress propaganda, Uttar Pradesh Congress Chief president Rita Bahuguna Joshi
The all-party meeting convened by the government has seen some interesting position being adopted by political parities on the issue of the Jan Lokpal bill with nine parties asking the government to trash its bill, which is with the standing committee. However, there are no takers for Anna Hazare's Jan Lokpal bill either.
In a move that is bound to add to the woes of the Congress, activist Anna Hazare on Tuesday announced his decision to begin a national tour after Dusshera.
The decision to launch a political party would be taken on October 2 only if there was agreement on it by the majority of Team Anna members, including activist Anna Hazare said Manish Sisodia, a key member of India Against Corruption. "Discussions are going on with IAC members. At the marathon meeting today, the majority was in favour of forming a political party," Sisodia told reporters.
Delhi government on Monday night decided to allow use of Chhatrasal Stadium in Model Town in North Delhi for keeping the supporters of Anna Hazare in the event of their arrest during his protest in delhi o Tuesday.
Nikhil Wagle, the editor-in-chief of the Marathi television news channel IBN Lokmat, on his meeting with Anna Hazare.
Anna Hazare, who called off his two-day fast in Mumbai for a strong Lokpal Bill due to failing health and poor public response, on Thursday left for his native Ralegan Siddhi village
Arvind Kejriwal met Anna Hazare on Saturday night shortly after which the Gandhian had a jibe at the Delhi chief minister saying some people take bungalows despite having promised not to do so.
Anna Hazare's anti-corruption movement that saw Indians rally in support has been named among the top 10 news stories in the world this year by Time magazine, which listed the Arab Spring and killing of Osama bin Laden as the top attention-grabbing headlines.
India erupted in protest on Tuesday morning as soon as the news of Anna Hazare's arrest in Delhi broke out. Rediff.com presents comprehensive reports from across the country.
The team behind Prakash Jha's new film launched a new song from the movie.
Anna Hazare and his team is all set to commence its three day fast at Mumbai's MMRDA grounds. Anna Hazare has personally appealed to people for donations to be able to pay the rent rates for the ground. With the fast venue almost finalised, the task of maintaining law and order clearly cut out for the Mumbai police. Rediff.com's Toral Varia Deshpande spoke to Mumbai Police Commissioner Arup Patnaik.
For the first time in their 120-year-old history, Mumbai's famous dabbawalas, who deliver tiffins to over two lakh customers daily, on Friday took a break to support social activist Anna Hazare in his fight against corruption.
A Team Anna member said the 74-year-old Gandhian will now head to Medanta Medicity in Haryana's Gurgaon for a check-up. Hazare had lost at least 7.5 kg since August 16 when he sat on a hunger strike for a strong Lokpal Bill. He now weighs 64.5 kg
Putting the government on notice on Lokpal issue, Anna Hazare on Tuesday threatened to go on an indefinite fast in Delhi from December 27 while terming that the draft report by Parliamentary Standing Committee as a "betrayal" of countrymen.
Vishwa Hindu Parishad on Tuesday gave its support to Anna Hazare's campaign against corruption but said it was involved in the movement "only as patriots".
A powerful campaign has been launched against Hazare and the movement he led. 'Anti democratic', 'Fascist' are some of the adjectives hurled at him. There is a less than subtle attempt to paint him a Hindu fundamentalist, writes Colonel Anil Athale (retd)
A powerful campaign has been launched against Hazare and the movement he led. 'Anti democratic', 'Fascist' are some of the adjectives hurled at him. There is a less than subtle attempt to paint him a Hindu fundamentalist, writes Colonel Anil Athale (retd)
The Shri Ram Sene, which had been in the news following the infamous attacks on pub-going women in Mangalore in 2009, is once again in the spotlight.
Anna Hazare is likely to end his vow of silence on Friday and head to Delhi where he may attend the meeting of the Standing Committee on the issue of Lokpal Bill.
Union Minister Salman Khurshid on Monday slammed Aam Admi Party convenor Arvind Kejriwal for his opposition to the Lokpal Bill even after anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare supported it.
Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal has alleged that the government was spending crores of rupees and planting stories in the media to separate Anna Hazare from him, Kiran Bedi and Prashant Bhushan. Accusing the government of trying to defame Team Anna with charges that would not stick, he said during a programme on TV channel Aaj Tak that "there's a conspiracy to separate Anna Hazare". "The government is spending crores of rupees for this. Stories are being planted," he said.
Confusion prevailed over Anna Hazare's protest plans on Monday with a prominent Municipal Corporation of Delhi functionary saying that the civic body has not given permission for the agitation at Ramlila Maidan even as Team Anna insisted that they have got the nod.
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