We don't know what kind of a beast the Lokpal Bill would turn out to be. Nor, for that matter, what shape it would take when processed by Parliament. It could well be constitutional, perhaps even draconian. It could even be useful to curb the widespread corruption that runs deep. The anti-corruption law is into the future. Whatever it turns out to be, we need to thank Anna Hazare for it.
The Baharatiya Janata Party on Sunday hailed Anna Hazare's agitation as one that had awakened even the non-political class and insisted that such movements also have a place in democracy as they serve to change the status quo. The BJP felt Anna Hazare's agitation had achieved much for democracy and empowerment of the people.
Justice Santosh Hegde, a member of Team Anna, is not in favour of activist Anna Hazare and his supporters joining politics. He explains why he so stringently opposes the idea to rediff.com's Vicky Nanjappa
As Anna Hazare's fast entered Day 11 on Friday, the split in his team widened. It's now Swami Agnivesh and Justice Hegde versus the rest! The duo feel that Hazare should have called off the fast on Thursday and that protesting out the prime minister's residence was uncalled for.
In Parliament on Tuesday, the Bharatiya Janata Party urged Speaker Meira Kumar to suspend Question Hour to discuss activist Anna Hazare's indefinite fast against corruption.
Though officially the Delhi Police maintained that the move was to 'ensure the safety of Hazare and his supporters', rediff.com has learnt that the law enforcement agency fears a law and order situation that may arise if and when Hazare is shifted to the hospital
Social Activist Anna Hazare has been continuing his fast from inside the Tihar Jail in New Delhi. Sahim Salim recaps the last 53 hours.
The Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday came out in support of social activist Anna Hazare, on the second day of his indefinite fast in Delhi, demanding implementation of Jan Lokpal Bill
Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader L K Advani on Tuesday said he welcomed the anti-corruption movements of Anna Hazare and Ramdev, but noted that Parliament has the sole authority to enact legislations, including the anti-corruption law.
Extending support to social activist Anna Hazare over Lokpal Bill issue, Mumbai's famous dabba-walas (lunch-box carriers) on Friday said there would be no service on August 16, the day he proposes to start his hunger strike.
As thousands gathered at Jantar Mantar to support Team Anna's fight for the Jan Lokpal Bill, Anna Hazre joined other fasting members, while Arvind Kejriwal released his book titled Swaraj. Priyanka reports.
Congress leader Digvijay Singh on Thursday denied that Anna Hazare would be given a treatment similar to yoga guru Ramdev if he goes on fast unto death from August 16 on the Lokpal issue.
A Rediff.com correspondent explains the many twists and turns before the decision to arrest Anna Hazare on Tuesday morning.
Highly placed sources in the Congress party state that on the Anna Hazare issue, the government began moving only after party chief Sonia Gandhi's intervention made through Rahul Gandhi.
Anna Hazare, who is suffering from fever, on Tuesday refused to give up his fast despite requests from close aides.
Actor-director Shashank Udapurkar's biopic Anna, a linear sketch of the man, who once brought the Delhi Establishment on its knees, fails to inspire, feels Prasanna D Zore.
Changing his plans to come to Delhi, Anna Hazare will now head to Ralegan Siddhi on Monday and stay there for the next couple of days as there is no clear indication when the Lokpal Bill will be introduced in Parliament.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will join social activist Anna Hazare in his protest against the land ordinance on Tuesday at the Jantar Mantar in New Delhi.
Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh on Saturday said that he would extend all possible support to veteran social activist Anna Hazare if he initiates a protest against corruption in Uttar Pradesh. "If he (Anna Hazare) wants to hold demonstrations in any part of the country, then Uttar Pradesh would be the best place. If he holds a demonstration or fast there, then we (Congress) will also do the same in his support," he said.
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
Prominent maulanas and Islamic scholars of Uttar Pradesh have reacted strongly to Delhi Jama Masjid Shahi Imam Ahmed Bukhari's diktat to Muslims to keep off Anna Hazare's anti-corruption campaign because his supporters were chanting 'vande mataram'.
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Lashing out at Team Anna for its anti-Congress propaganda, Uttar Pradesh Congress Chief president Rita Bahuguna Joshi
Veteran Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar, in his latest book, argues that Pranab Mukherjee should have been made Prime Minister in 2012 instead of Manmohan Singh, who was then recovering from health issues. Aiyar believes this would have prevented the "paralysis of governance" and "doomed" any prospects the Congress might have had to form UPA-III. He also criticizes the government's handling of the Anna Hazare-led agitation and the Commonwealth Games scandal, which he believes contributed to the party's downfall in the 2014 general elections.
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.
