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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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."
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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".
"The government has failed to provide a strong Lokpal Bill. Hence Shri Anna Hazare and IAC have decided to go on Andolan from the 27th across India. AnnaJi will fast for 3 days in Mumbai, 27th, 28th and 29th December. On 30th He has announced a Jail Bharo for 3 days," says the press release sent out by India Against Corruption.
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.
Hitting out at the government on the "useless" Lokpal Bill, Anna Hazare on Thursday challenged Congress chief Sonia Gandhi to a public debate on it to convince people that the proposed legislation is strong.
It was a day of high drama beginning with the arrest of Social Activist Anna Hazare on early Tuesday morning, when he was taken in preventive custody by the Delhi police. By late night, he was to be released from Tihar jail where he was lodged, after a magistrate ordered him to be in judicial custody for seven days when the same Delhi police moved an application. Renu Mittal reports.
Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on Thursday said activist Anna Hazare's plan to go on fast from August 16 on Lokpal issue is "unjustified" at this stage, when it is moving forward on the passage of the bill.
With the bill giving constitutional status to the Lokpal defeated in the Lok Sabha, Congress leader Digvijay Singh on Wednesday took potshots at the Bharatiya Janata Party and Team Anna, asking Anna Hazare whether his colleagues would stage a dharna in front of LK Advani's residence pleading with the BJP not to oppose it in the Rajya Sabha
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Monday announced a slew of stricter laws to fight corruption and amendments in the existing Lokayukta Act. Gogoi said, "The new anti-corruption legislations and the amendments to State Lokayukta Act will be tabled in the state assembly in the next budget session." "We were committed to tackling corruption even before Anna Hazare started his campaign. With that in mind, we will make amendments in the present Lokayukta Act," he said.
Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh on Saturday accused activist Anna Hazare of provoking violence, in an apparent reference to his reaction over the attack on Union minister Sharad Pawar. In two of his posts on the microblogging site Twitter, Singh said, "Anna Gandhian -- Provokes Violence. Bedi "X Cop"-- Urges People to break Law Kejriwal "X IRS"- Returns Donations to Anonymous. Shanti Bhushan "X Law Minister"- Promises to fix Judges. Pranab Da How right you are!"
Amid sharp differences between representatives of government and civil society, the two sides will meet on Monday in a last ditch attempt to resolve contentious issues and hammer out a consensus on Lokpal Bill.
Activist Anna Hazare started his one-day fast at Rajghat in Delhi to protest against the police crackdown on Baba Ramdev and his supporters during their agitation against corruption.
'It is up to the voters to decide whom to vote for," Hazare said, adding, "we will tell them about the status of the cases pending against a candidate.'
Noted social activist Swami Agnivesh has said that there is no need to show any leniency to Team Anna members Prashant Bhushan, Arvind Kejriwal and Kiran Bedi if they are found guilty of violating the law of the land.
Till corruption is removed from the country, people would not get their true freedom, anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare said in Guwahati on Friday.
Barely 24 hours after the Lucknow University denied permission for a meeting to be addressed by social activist Anna Hazare on May 1, the state government has introduced measures that may put up impediments in the path of his proposed three-day visit to the state.
'All societies possess conservatives and India can't be an exception. The difference is that when upper castes display their conservatism, they turn into a Taliban. Anna has come to harvest that social constituency,' says Chandrabhan Prasad.
Anna Hazare is suffering from severe chest congestion and doctors have advised him to get hospitalised in Pune on Sunday for further treatment. Dr Sancheti of the Sancheti hospital in Pune said he had made the suggestion for shifting the 74-year-old Gandhian from his native village in Maharashtra to Pune after medically examining him. "There is enough congestion in his chest and he has a strong cough. He can't remain in a single position for a minute," he said.
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