Activist Anna Hazare on Wednesday said there was no going back on the issue of the Lokpal Bill and demanded that all issues set aside by the government be brought back into the bill. "There is nothing in the bill which was introduced in Parliament. It is just a show off. It has been drafted just to tell the people that we have a law to fight corruption. It will be of no use," Hazare said. He said all the issues that were set aside by the government should be brought back.
Anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare to march against the land bill on March 25 from Sevagram.
In a sarcastic attack on Anna Hazare and his team, Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray on Monday asked the social activist not to take any credit for "the anti-Congress sentiments" in the country created by rising prices.
Sahim Salim writes an eyewitness account from Jantar Mantar square, the spot which activist Anna Hazare has chosen for his hunger strike, demanding changes in the Loik Pal bill.
It is important for the government to address immediately the demand for a Lok Pal and to take note of the growing public anger over the issue of corruption, says B Raman.
Talking to his supporters, Anna said: "Our fight against corruption does not end here. We will continue the fight."
Congress President Sonia Gandhi's absence was felt during the Anna Hazare agitation as she has always given us a way out, Union Minister Veerappa Moily said on Thursday.
Member of the joint drafting committee on Lokpal bill, N Santosh Hegde, on Friday strongly disapproved of Anna Hazare's insistence on "having his way" in Parliament and sought to make out a case for ending his fast even while continuing the anti-corruption fight.
Member of the joint drafting committee on Lokpal bill, N Santosh Hegde, on Friday strongly disapproved of Anna Hazare's insistence on "having his way" in Parliament and sought to make out a case for ending his fast even while continuing the anti-corruption fight.
On the tenth day of Anna Hazare's fast, Lok Sabha on Thursday unanimously appealed to him to end his hunger strike as his life was "much too precious", with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh saying he has "registered his point" and that Jan Lokpal would be considered by Parliament.
The whole nation is watching TV visuals from the Ramlila Grounds and other places in India, with a mix of feelings regarding the epic anti-corruption struggle being waged by social activist Anna Hazare and his followers from different age groups and different strata of society. And, it is not the Arab Spring, or a Jasmine Revolution, writes B Raman.
Amidst speculations that the number of protestors at the Ramlila Ground in Delhi will dwindle at the end of the extended weekend, people turned up in large numbers on Tuesday to support Anna Hazare who is on an indefinite fast to press for a stronger Lokpal Bill.
Senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh on Friday said people close to social activist Anna Hazare were "somehow close" to Bharatiya Janata Party and questioned the inclusion of father-son lawyer duo of Shanti and Prashant Bhushan in the ten-member joint drafting committee on Lokpal Bill.
Former army chief V K Singh has said he supports the issues raised by Anna Hazare and Ramdev but has not yet decided on joining the anti-graft activists.
The crackdown on social activist mAnna Hazare and his subsequent arrest is agreeably a blatant misuse of power by the Delhi police. But the decision to arrest him and his aides was not taken by the Delhi police, rediff.com has learnt.
Opposing FDI in the retail sector, activist Anna Hazare on Wednesday said the move would lead to enslavement of the countrymen and will not benefit the farmers as claimed by the government.
Social activist Anna Hazare on Tuesday issued an open letter to all members of Parliament, appealing them to prevent introduction of the 'anti-poor' Lokpal Bill passed by the Cabinet last week.
Team Anna collected donations of Rs 2.94 crore in the past six months, out of which Rs 1.14 crore were received during Anna Hazare's 12-day hunger strike in Ramlila Maidan.
Replying to criticism that he was seeking to create a 'parallel government' through a Jan Lokpal bill without accountability, flouting the basic structure of the Constitution, social activist Anna Hazare on Friday said all parties should decide if that was the case.
Union Home Secretary R K Singh said since Hazare has been released he is free to go wherever he wants to.
In a veiled attack on Arvind Kejriwal, activist Kiran Bedi said erstwhile Team Anna has become "suspect" in its programme after a few chose the political route and suggested that Anna Hazare step in to provide direction.
In the most candid admission of Team Anna's political ambitions, Arvind Kejriwal has said a non-Congress, non-Bharatiya Janata Party people's front will be put up in the 2014 polls, which will be backed by Anna Hazare and his team.
Ahead of the indefinite fast by Anna Hazare and his team, the government on Tuesday highlighted the slew of measures taken by it over the last one year to tackle corruption which include curbing the discretionary powers of ministers and time-bound decisions on prosecution requests.
Indicating progress in talks with the government on the proposed formation of a committee for drafting the Lok Pak Bill, the emissaries of Anna Hazare on Friday evening said he will soon announce his decision which people would be "happy to hear."
The 'Gram Sanvad Yatra', as it is called, will start from June 18 and end on July 12 and will be anchored by Team Anna member Manish Sisodia. The yatra is aimed at drumming up support for its indefinite fast in New Delhi from July 25 against the United Progressive Alliance government for failing to pass a strong Lokpal Bill
Despite being offered release, Anna Hazare spent the night in Tihar Jail refusing to come out insisting on an unconditional release and permission to launch his fast at Jai Prakash Narain Park.
Delhi Police on Monday sought the services of two magistrates from Delhi government ahead of the protest by Anna Hazare and his team who have announced they would go ahead with their fast against corruption despite denial of permission for the agitation.
Ahead of the proposed August 16 fast against corruption by social activist Anna Hazare, United States has hoped that New Delhi would exercise democratic restraint in the way it deals with peaceful protest.
Anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare on Sunday said he will celebrate his 75th birthday on June 15 in Ahmednagar by laying the foundation stone of an English medium school for underprivileged children.
After threatening to campaign against the Congress in five election-bound states if the United Progressive Alliance government failed to get the Jan Lokpal Bill passed in the winter session of Parliament, Anna Hazare has asked political parties not to use his name or photograph during elections. "This directive was given during a two-day meeting of workers at Ralegan Siddhi," Hazare's aide Suresh Pathare said.
A legal tussle between Team Anna and the government of India now seems certain after the social activist's proposed indefinite fast against corruption was forcibly curbed by the might of the government. Vicky Nanjappa explains the nitty-gritty of such a case before the apex court.
As the government prepares to bring the Lokpal Bill to the Cabinet, social activist Anna Hazare on Wednesday pitched for a strong version of the law to be presented for the consideration of Parliament.
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh on Thursday said it had no "official link" with Anna Hazare's anti-corruption movement and nobody had sought its support for the campaign.
With the Congress pushed to a distant third in Hisar by-polls, Anna Hazare on Monday said the party should take cue from the result and ensure passage of Jan Lokpal Bill in winter session of Parliament or else he would personally campaign against it in upcoming Assembly elections.
With Team Anna members coming under attack, Anna Hazare on Sunday said the core committee will be expanded but a "sharp eye" will be kept on new members so that people with only clean background are part of the movement.
It seems as if the movement against corruption is in disarray. The volleys fired against some of its key members by the Congress and its supporters appear to be taking its toll, says Seema Mustafa.
'He didn't implement good policies for good politics.' 'He never worked on comprehensive policy-making.' 'In Kejriwal's own constituency youths are jobless.'
In an apparent dig at Anna Hazare's campaign for Jan Lokpal Bill, National Advisory Council member Aruna Roy on Monday said one has the right to dissent in a democracy but not to overrule the functioning of Parliament and its multifarious structures.
Anna Hazare received a hero's welcome on his return to his native village in Ahmednagar district Monday evening to the accompaniment of Jai Ho number, two days after the social activist ended his 98-hour fast against corruption.
Unhappy with the ultimatum set by Anna Hazare on the Jan Lokpal issue, a senior minister on Wednesday said the government is committed to bring a "strong and effective" Lokpal bill to deal with corruption but made it clear that this cannot be done by "putting a pistol on someone's neck".
