"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.
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.
'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.'
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.
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.
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.
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!"
Till corruption is removed from the country, people would not get their true freedom, anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare said in Guwahati on Friday.
"The government is just giving empty promises due to which I do not have any trust left (in the government)... Let's see, what action the Centre takes on my demands. They have sought time for a month, so I have given them time till January-end. If my demands are not met, I will resume my huger strike protest. This would be my last protest," the 83-year-old said.
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.
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.
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.
'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.
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".
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
Right To Information activist Anil Galgali has asked Anna Hazare to prevail upon Maharashtra Government to cancel the new RTI rules in the state.
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".
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.
