Trade unions and journalists came out in open support of social activist Anna Hazare in Lucknow on Tuesday.
The PIL was dismissed by justices M L Tahaliyani and Girish Godbole after the central government's counsel R V Desai argued that it was a "frivolous" petition and not in the public interest
Amid allegations by a Congress spokesman that the United States was behind Anna Hazare's agitation, US Senator John McCain on Thursday said America neither gets involved in such agitation nor has any intention of doing so.
Casting doubts on government's intentions over the Lokpal Bill, Anna Hazare on Sunday accused it of repeatedly betraying his team and said he is firm with his agitation plan if an effective anti-graft legislation was not passed in the ongoing winter session of Parliament.
Shiv Sena leader Bal Thackeray was locked in a war of words on Friday with social activist Anna Hazare who was warned not to indulge in 'enmity' and pick up a fight after the Gandhian mocked Shiv Sena chief's old age.
Terming as "impractical" Anna Hazare's suggestion for the right to recall an elected Member of Parliament, Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi on Wednesday said such a move will "destabilise" the entire system. "Right to recall in a big country like ours is impractical. It is not easy in a country where candidates are voted by lakhs of voters," he told reporters. He feared that if the right to recall is put in place, "elections will go on happening".
Lending his support to Anna Hazare's movement against corruption, former army chief Gen V K Singh on Friday asked the people to "throw" the corrupt out of power and support the alternative political force sponsored by the activist.
As Anna Hazare mobilised hundreds and thousands in the country's capital and millions across the country in his crusade against corruption, a large number of Indians in the Gulf region remained glued to their television sets to watch the unfolding events.
The Delhi police will adopt a 'wait and watch' approach to social activist Anna Hazare-led anti-corruption protest at Ramlila Ground from Friday.
The turnout at Mumbai's MMRDA ground may have fallen short of Team Anna's expectations, but there was no dearth of enthusiasm or anti-establishment rhetoric at the venue, finds Sanchari Bhattcharya
Team Anna on Tuesday appeared set to oppose the United Progressive Alliance in the next Lok Sabha elections saying its mission is to ensure that "new and apt people" come to power in the 2014 polls. It also attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party alleging that it supported the team earlier with a political motive.
Unfazed by the resistance from the government and some quarters to the civil society's demand for inclusion of prime minister in the ambit of the proposed Lokpal Bill, Anna Hazare on Tuesday asserted he would not hesitate to fight against Opposition parties that did not support a strong anti-corruption ombudsman.
Anna Hazare on Saturday denounced as an attempt to "blacken democracy" the incident in which Swami Ramdev's face was smeared with ink and said such attacks will not deter "people's movements". "This is not an attempt to blacken the face of Swami Ramdev. This is an attempt to blacken democracy," Hazare said in a statement from his village where he is convalescing after a bout of bronchitis.
People from all walks of life took to the streets in Bihar to express their support for activist Anna Hazare and his demand for the Jan Lokpal Bill.
Right To Information activist Anil Galgali has asked Anna Hazare to prevail upon Maharashtra Government to cancel the new RTI rules in the state.
Sheela Bhatt analyses the aftermath of the Anna Hazare fast in New Delhi and says that war has broken out at multiple levels over the Lokpal bill.
Law mnister M Veerappa Moily on Tuesday said it is possible for the government to meet the August 15 deadline set by social activist Anna Hazare for passage of the Lokpal bill in Parliament if all cooperate. "Yes, it is possible to meet the August 15 deadline, provided if all cooperated", Moily told mediapersons before leaving for Delhi.
Gandhian Anna Hazare on Sunday brushed aside Baba Ramdev's criticism on inclusion of father-son duo Shanti and Prashant Bhushan in Lokpal Bill drafting committee and virtually ruled out any change in the nominees, saying the focus is on having an effective anti-graft measure.
In an apparent answer to crusader Anna Hazare's team mobilising the masses suffering corruption of the lower level bureaucracy, the government has quietly kicked of drafting of a Bill for creating a mechanism for the public services grievance redressal.
In a clear indication of a change in strategy in tackling Anna Hazare's protest over the Lokpal Bill, the government on Tuesday refrained from making any personal attack on the activist but justified his arrest, saying defiance of police order was not acceptable in democracy.
Slamming the government for the police action against the Gandhian and his team, political parties accused the government of stifling the legitimate rights of the people and described it as a "sad day for Indian democracy".
Hazare, 81, had started his indefinite fast on January 30 over appointment of anti-corruption watchdogs.
Ninety-four-year-old Gandhian Shambhu Dutt, who ended his fast-unto-death demanding Lokpal bill after Team Anna's promise to shoulder the campaign, says he now regrets his decision to hand over his fight to Anna Hazare and his core committee of "yes men".
Anna Hazare on Thursday tied himself in knots with his reaction to the attack on Sharad Pawar, initially appearing to respond with contempt and later condemning it. "He got slapped! Only one slap," he said to a group of journalists who broke out in laughter at his reaction. But he later condemned the incident, saying such acts of violence were not good.
Anna Hazare's team on Tuesday described Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's sadhavana fast as one held for his "personal political gain". The anti-corruption activist's aides also said the country does not need more yatras and fasts but effective steps to fight corruption, including the Jan Lokpal bill, for which they were fighting. Prominent lawyer Prashant Bhushan said, "It was done for personal political gain."
The Delhi high court on Monday dismissed a plea for its directions to make Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi a witness in a case against activist Anna Hazare for allegedly instigating public against state.
Devinder Sharma, distinguished food security expert who has been with India Against Corruption since its inception, talks about their future plans and where he hopes the movement will go and what they hope to achieve.
The announced plans of social activist Anna Hazare to go on a fast unto death from August 16 in support of the demand of the anti-corruption movement headed by him for a stronger Jan Lok Pal Bill than the one introduced by the government in Parliament poses an executive and moral dilemma to the government of Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, says B Raman.
Veteran activist Anna Hazare on Monday night defended his key associate Kiran Bedi from the allegations of "air travel corruption", pointing fingers at a "gang of four" in the ruling party being behind the campaign against his team.
Addressing a rally in Thane district of Maharashtra on Thursday night as part of his tour to create awareness about a strong Lokpal, the anti-corruption crusader softened his stand on the prime minister and instead appeared to blame Sonia Gandhi, without naming her
Taking on Rahul Gandhi, Anna Hazare on Sunday said he aspires to be the prime minister but spending "one day" in a hut is just not enough. "I don't have any fight with Rahul Gandhi. He is also young man. He dreams of becoming the prime minister. But spending one day in a hut is not enough. He has to spend months doing it," Hazare said in his address during his one-day dharna protesting against the Parliamentary Standing Committee report on Lokpal Bill.
Taking on Rahul Gandhi, Anna Hazare on Sunday said he aspires to be the prime minister but spending "one day" in a hut is just not enough. "I don't have any fight with Rahul Gandhi. He is also young man. He dreams of becoming the prime minister. But spending one day in a hut is not enough. He has to spend months doing it," Hazare said in his address during his one-day dharna protesting against the Parliamentary Standing Committee report on Lokpal Bill.
Extending support to Anna Hazare's anti-graft crusade, Bharatiya Janata Party president Nitin Gadkari on Thursday claimed that it was his party that brought corruption and black money issues to the forefront and it will firmly stand with the Gandhian in his agitation.
Rediff.com's Prasanna D Zore and photographer Sanjay Sawant reach Ramlila Ground in Delhi to take stock of the preparedness ahead of Anna Hazare's indefinite fast against corruption at this historic venue.
"Agitation is the right of every citizen," a vacation bench of Justices Girish Godbole and M L Tahalayani observed while hearing the PIL filed by a social worker Mangleshwar Tripathi, seeking the fast being observed by the 74-year-old Gandhian at MMRDA ground in Bandra East, Mumbai, be declared as "illegal and unconstitutional"
Ahead of Anna Hazare's fast, Congress General Secretary Digvijay Singh on Saturday accused him of playing into the hands of the Bharatiya Janata Party to harm the party despite it fulfilling the commitment to bring the Lokpal Bill.
Government decision-making may soon become a casualty
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