"Corrupt" politicians will never allow Lokpal Bill to be passed in Parliament, anti-graft activist Anna Hazare has said while urging people to elect representatives with clean image in next Lok Sabha polls.
The 89-year-old, who led India to its first ever Test win, died at Vadodara following a prolonged illness.
Anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare has been urged to support the demand for repeal of the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act, 1958 by Manipuri social activist Irom Sharmila, who has been on an indefinite fast on the issue for nearly 11 years now.
A meeting between Sonia Gandhi and Anna Hazare is expected soon despite differences between Congress and the civil society over the issue of Lokpal Bill. An indication to this effect was given by a senior party leader who declined to be identified.
Announcing his agitation, Hazare has asked the Centre to "show courage" in bringing in the bill in the Winter session of Parliament, beginning from December 5.
The way appears to have been cleared for Anna Hazare to end his fast possibly on Friday when Parliament will discuss the Jan Lokpal Bill along with other civil society drafts on the subject after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh made the ice-breaking offer.
The government may have blinked first in the Anna Hazare case and permitted him to continue his fast, the real question remains to be answered: will the real issue be solved with this latest decision?
Himachal Pradesh seam bowler Sidharth Sharma died in a hospital in Vadodara after a brief illness.
Accusing the United Progressive Alliance government of "playing tricks" with the people of the country, Anna Hazare on Thursday questioned the rationale behind sending two versions of the Lokpal Bill to the Cabinet for consideration.
According to sources in the government, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee is firmly against activist Anna Hazare's demand for formally constituting a joint committee, with representatives from the civil society and the government, to draft a strong anti-corruption bill. Hazare has been on an indefinite fast in New Delhi since Wednesday to press for his demand.Mukherjee has stopped the government from issuing a notification to make the joint committee formal.
Civil society activists led by social activist Anna Hazare on Monday boycotted the meeting of the joint drafting committee on the Lokpal Bill saying government's intentions raised serious doubts about having a strong anti-corruption watchdog and protesting against the police crackdown on Ramdev.
Activist Anna Hazare, during a recent interview to a TV channel, stated that he could field "young and dedicated candidates" for elections across India in the future. This statement is in sharp contrast to his earlier assertion that he was not interested in political power or Constitutional posts. Hazare said, "I appeal to the youth that you keep yourself focused, keep yourself clean and keep out of controversies."
Gautam Gambhir (69) scored a confident half-century to complement the good bowling as Delhi thrashed Bengal by six wickets to enter the summit clash of the Vijay Hazare trophy in Visakhapatnam on Saturday.
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Medium pacer Pritam Das claimed a career best 5-30 to guide Assam to their second consecutive win, thrashing Odisha by eight wickets in the East Zone leg of the Vijay Hazare Trophy One-day Championship in Kolkata on Saturday.
In an interview with CNN-IBN, author and activist Arundhati Roy outlines the reasons why she strongly opposes Anna Hazare's movement for the Jan Lokpal Bill
Aam Aadmi Party convener Arvind Kejriwal will go to Ralegan Siddhi on Thursday to extend support to Anna Hazare, who is on indefinite hunger strike for passage of Jan Lokpal Bill in the Parliament.
Unable to comprehend the deliberations in English in the joint drafting committee on Lokpal Bill, anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare has sought an interpreter for himself from the next meeting.
Justice (Retd) P B Sawant, whose probe found that an amount of Rs 2.2 lakhs was diverted from Anna Hazares trust for his birthday celebrations, on Sunday said this action amounted to "corruption."
Extending his support to the protests by youths demanding justice for the Delhi gang-rape victim, anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare on Sunday called for stringent laws and fast-track trials in such cases.
Anti-graft crusader Anna Hazare on Wednesday said he would rally against the government's decision of privatisation and opening of retail sector to foreign markets.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India is unlikely to agree to the proposal to change the format of the Vijay Hazare Trophy one-day tournament on the lines of the revamped Ranji Trophy because of logistical issues, former India captain Anil Kumble indicated.
Social activist Anna Hazare on Thursday appealed to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi to enact a law empowering gram sabhas in taking decisions regarding village land.
Veteran social activist Kisan Baburao alias Anna Hazare is going on fast unto death at the Jantar Mantar in New Delhi from March 5 to press for Parliament to enact the 'Jan Lokpal bill' drafted by former Supreme Court Judge Santosh Hegde to effectively tackle corruption in the government.
The Communist Party of India-Marxist has taken exception to remarks made by Anna Hazare during his campaign for Lokpal Bill that Indian voters cast their votes for a Rs 100 note or a bottle of alcohol, terming it as "bizarre" and saying such "disdain and contempt" for parliamentary democracy was "disturbing".
In his unassuming style Anna Hazare fielded a volley of questions -- related to charges of corruption in his trust, Narendra Modi, threat to his life from people who he has named as corrupt, his movement being propped up by the RSS and charges of him acting like a dictator --from the press without ever showing his fatigue after a 97-hour long fast unto death that ended on April 9. Here's Anna Hazare unplugged
Controversy dogged the joint committee set up to draft an effective Lok Pal even before it starts its work with Gandhian Anna Hazare on Monday asking Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal to resign from it "if he feels nothing will come" out of this institution.
Anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare on Thursday termed the new draft of the Lokpal Bill as 'bekar' or useless and said he would continue his fight against the government for the 'Jan Lokpal Bill'.
The Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday slammed Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal after a video, showing anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare purportedly expressing disappointment over the alleged misuse of funds collected during the Jan Lokpal Bill drive by the AAP, surfaced on Wednesday.
Even as a sudden and acute health problem prevented him from coming to Varanasi for a rally, social activist Anna Hazare chose to keep his date with the masses by addressing them via telephone on Friday.
Samajwadi Party on Saturday said that there was no need for Anna Hazare or the members of civil society to start a movement in Uttar Pradesh as the party is capable of fighting against corruption on its own.
Lokayukta Justice Santosh Hegde, the ombudsman battling corruption in Karnataka is impressed with the manner in which Anna Hazare has taken on the government this time. Here are a few excerpts from a freewheeling chat with Vicky Nanjappa:
The feeling is gathering strength in the Congress that it can see off Anna Hazare if it comes to a fight in the political arena, and that there is nobody else of his stature left to call it to account, says TVR Shenoy.
Declaring government's commitment to a strong Lokpal, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday said Anna Hazare's demand for 'right to reject' provision in electoral law needs political consensus.
A day before Anna Hazare is to reach Delhi to hold discussions about taking forward the anti-graft movement, Arvind Kejriwal-led India Against Corruption (IAC) on Monday claimed that 76 per cent of people surveyed were in favour of forming a political party.
Anna Hazare, who has been admitted to a private hospital here after suffering from a viral infection, is recovering and he should not fast at least for the next one month, doctors attending on him said on Sunday.
Faced with stiff opposition on the land bill, the government on Thursday reached out to leaders of opposition parties, including Sonia Gandhi, and activist Anna Hazare inviting them to an open debate on the issue while asserting that the bill was "very much in farmers' interest".
Maharashtra has "no future" under the Congress-Nationalist Congress Party coalition government as it is controlled by corrupt politicians, Anna Hazare said on Friday.
Team Anna appeared to be divided on Raj Thackeray on Thursday with Anna Hazare praising the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray saying his work "appeals" to him and its key member Prashant Bhushan disapproving his politics.
India and Pakistan both share the dubious distinction of suffering from the debilitating problem of corruption. This menace has not only crippled Pakistan's economy but also hampered all kinds of developmental activities in the country.
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