There is no doubt that anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare has legions of followers. And they are all contributing their might to his movement for a stronger Jan Lokpal Bill.
Social activist Anna Hazare on Thursday said he would continue his 'maun vrat (vow of silence)' on health ground. "My health still does not permit me to give up my 'maun vrat'. There is still some swelling on my feet and the knee troubles me a lot. 'Maun vrat' helps me heal my body from within and outside," Hazare wrote on his blog.
After disbanding his team, Anna Hazare is working on plans to stitch a new team in the crusade against corruption for which he has convened a meeting of like-minded people by the end of this month.
Here's a copy of Congress President Sonia Gandhi's letter to social activist Anna Hazare.
Anna Hazare on Friday said that Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who was recently embroiled in a controversy over a CD showing him in a compromising situation, should be hanged if found "guilty".
As part of its efforts to reach out to more people, the anti-corruption movement led by Anna Hazare has introduced an SMS card which will provide subscribers with round the year updates about the campaign.
At least 50 supporters of Anna Hazare were on Monday night detained by Delhi police at Jai Prakash Narain Park, the venue of the anti-graft crusader's planned fast from Tuesday, for defying prohibitory orders clamped in the area.
Human Resources and Develeopment Minister Kapil Sibal was on Tuesday greeted with protests from Anna Hazare supporters at a seminar on Lokpal in New Delhi, hours after the arrest of the Gandhian.
Amid "confusion" on how to take the movement forward, Team Anna's Core Committee met in Ghaziabad on Monday sans ailing Anna Hazare to decide on their future strategy.
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.
Ahead of Anna Hazare's proposed fast on Lokpal, the Congress on Sunday launched a no-holds-barred attack, saying he should first clarify the "serious" findings against him of a commission that probed graft charges and accused him of attempting to bring instability in the country.
Asking Team Anna to clarify its stand on reservation issue, Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Wednesday said he suspected "political ambitions" behind Anna Hazare's decision to expand his committee to include Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Muslims.
Raising serious objections against the manner in which the entire Anna Hazare episode was handled by the Congress leadership during the absence of its President Sonia Gandhi, a Congress member of Parliament from Uttar Pradesh has shot off a letter to party General Secretary Rahul Gandhi, urging him to get the whole affair investigated by a panel of seasoned Congressmen.
As Team Anna on Wednesday launched an indefinite fast raising the pitch against the United Progressive Alliance government on the issue of corruption, villagers from his native place, Ralegan Siddhi in Ahmednagar district, 75 km north of Pune, joined in support, holding a protest.
The war of words between veteran social activist Anna Hazare and the Congress gets uglier by the day.
Congress on Tuesday expressed hurt over Anna Hazare's statement that a "gang of four" in the government of was targeting his team, saying the party and the government had nothing to do with the allegations against Team Anna members.
While two Team Anna members targetted United Progressive Alliance Presidential nominee Pranab Mukherjee and demanding a probe into allegations against him, anti-graft crusader Anna Hazare on Monday appeared to endorse his candidature for the top post terming him as "better than other UPA ministers".
On the eve of the second meeting of the joint Lokpal Bill drafting committee, social activist Anna Hazare's supporters held a rally across India on Sunday demanding early implementation of a strong Ombudsmen legislation.
A poor crowd on a weekend at Team Anna's indefinite fast on Saturday did not deter Anna Hazare to threaten a fast-unto-death from Sunday on the Lokpal issue and talk about a political alternative in the 2014 elections.
Launching a vitriolic attack on Team Anna, Union Minister V Narayanasamy on Saturday charged that Anna Hazare was surrounded by "anti-national elements" and those supported by "foreign forces". "Anna is a simple man, but he is surrounded by anti-national elements and people who have been supported by foreign forces," the minister of state in PMO told the media at Chennai airport.
After raising questions about the way in which funds for activist Anna Hazare's agitation was managed, Swami Agnivesh on Monday claimed that the Gandhian was upset about the management of the accounts.
Anna Hazare was on Wednesday admitted to a local hospital for a medical check-up after he complained of fatigue and weakness. Hazare, 74, had arrived in Nashik on Wednesday morning from Dhule town as part of his state-wide tour for a strong Lokayukta Bill.
Anna Hazare had leveled allegations of corruption against four Maharashtra ministers.
Responding to Anna Hazare's complaint against her "colleagues", Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday assured him that she does not support "politics of smear campaign" and that she was strongly committed to the institution of Lokpal.
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.
Anna Hazare on Friday night visited Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal, who is on an indefinite fast, and urged the latter to call off his fast. The meeting between Hazare and Kejriwal took place at around 10.50 pm.
In an inclusive democracy, every section of civil society, and every individual, has a participatory role in governance, including policy-making, says former chief justice of India J S Verma
Affirming his views on not forming a political party, social activist Anna Hazare on Tuesday said floating a political outfit by his associate Arvind Kejriwal would mean "taking a different path" to reach the same goal -- a corruption-free India.
After securing Parliament's nod on key elements of Jan Lokpal bill, Anna Hazare on Sunday ended his 12-day-old fast declaring that electoral reforms will be next on his agenda.
Within an hour of Anna Hazare begining his three-day fast, his prominent supporters Arvind Kejriwal and Kiran Bedi on Tuesday appealed to him to end the hunger strike taking into consideration his ill health but the activist remained adamant on continuing his protest
Thousands of Delhiites today rallied behind Anna Hazare's campaign against corruption by thronging India Gate, from where they marched to Ramlila Maidan, where the Gandhian is on a fast demanding a strong Lokpal.
On the eve of the all-party meeting on the Lokpal issue, the Congress on Tuesday made a scathing attack on opposition parties, accusing them of seeking "approval and approbation from extra-constitutional elements" by participating in Team Anna's debate at Jantar Mantar.
Anna's movement is likely to be a game-changer and will shift the rules of the game in favour of value-creators.
As the health of his aides deteriorated, Anna Hazare on Wednesday warned the government that he will not negotiate with them if the fasting activists are forcefully removed from the Jantar Mantar protest site in New Delhi.
Slamming Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan for asking the Centre to give green nod to the first phase of the controversial Lavasa project, Anna Hazare has accused him of violating his oath of office.
Anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare on Wednesday announced that he will undertake a nationwide tour from January 30 from Bihar for strengthening farmer organisations.
Government and Team Anna had a late night meeting on the eve of a debate in the Lok Sabha on the Lokpal issue which may lead to Anna Hazare calling off his 11-day hunger strike.
Several scams have seriously dented the image of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government and positioned the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party in better place for the 2014 elections, and by jailing Anna Hazare the government looked both "inept and undemocratic", a Congressional report on India has said.
The Congress has sought to politically tackle the issue of Anna Hazare holding an indefinite fast -- to demand the involvement of civil society in the formulation of the anti-graft Lok Pal bill -- with party president Sonia Gandhi stepping in to resolve the issue on the third day of the activist's fast.Gandhi has directed the government to show the same level of sincerity while forming laws to combat corruption that Hazare has exhibited while pursuing the issue.
Strongly condemning the police action against yoga guru Baba Ramdev, civil rights activist Anna Hazare termed it as "strangulation of democracy" and said civil society will launch protests throughout the country to "teach the government a lesson"
