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Taking on a section of political class that questioned the need for civil society to contribute in law making, Team Anna member N Santosh Hegde on Friday sought annual auditing of Parliamentarians to assess their performance.
In an interview with rediff.com's Sahim Salim social activist Medha Patkar said that Team Anna expected a deadlock between the Congress and BJP when the BJP took a stance on the matter.
Team Anna member and former Karnataka Lokayukta Justice (retd) N Santosh Hegde on Tuesday appealed to Anna Hazare to end his eight-day fast, saying everyone is "honestly" concerned about his health.
Decrying the failure of Rajya Sabha to pass the Lokpal bill, Anna Hazare on Thursday made a curious suggestion to bring a law to empower gram sabhas that will be above Parliament.
Accusing the government of cheating people on the Lokpal issue, Team Anna member Kiran Bedi on Sunday claimed that it was not willing to part with control over the Central Bureau of Investigation, as it did not want the "hidden files in the agency's almirahs" to become public.
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.
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".
The Delhi police is understood to have sought two more days to take a decision on giving permission to social activist Anna Hazare to organise his indefinite fast against Lokpal Bill in New Delhi even as his team has secured a no-objection certificate from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi to hold the protest at Ramlila Maidan.
Even as the media continued to dig the dirt on members of Team Anna (with a little help from politicians and political parties) Congress chief Sonia Gandhi in her reply to Anna Hazare has assured him that she does not 'support or encourage the politics of smear campaigns.'
Team Anna member Kiran Bedi on Monday advised Swami Agnivesh to file an FIR if he felt that the controversial video in which he purportedly asked someone to act tough with social activist Anna Hazare was fake but the religious leader said his spiritual values did not allow him to do so.
'A system that is judge, jury, and executioner, with draconian and apparently ill-defined powers and a haphazard system of oversight is not necessarily a better denouement, even if the current situation is untenable,' says Ram Kelkar.
The Anna Hazare movement, which has not only gripped the nation, has also caught the fancy of the average foreign tourist.
Questioning Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's honesty, the Anna Hazare team has raised its pitch on the Lokpal Bill demanding that its version be placed before Parliament, saying that the "weak" government draft was a "joke" played on the nation.
Yoga guru Baba Ramdev on dismissed suggestions of a rift with the Anna Hazare-led team and said he has asked his supporters to join the day-long fast by the social activist and his aides in New Delhi on Wednesday.
If only you had thought ahead, you would have stocked snacks and biscuits, bread and cake, and vegetables suited for Amma or pondatti to make your favourite bajji and pakoda, observes N Sathiya Moorthy.
Rejecting contention that Lokpal proposed by it was aimed at creating a 'parallel' government, veteran social activist Anna Hazare on Wednesday said he will undertake fast-unto-death from August 16 and would not be go back on his decision even if the government makes any request.
'A defeat in the Hisar by-election would not make any difference to the numbers in the Lok Sabha for the simple reason that the Congress had not won that seat in 2009 anyhow. But alienating the Trinamool Congress (19 Lok Sabha MPs), the DMK (18 Lok Sabha MPs), and the Nationalist Congress Party (nine Lok Sabha MPs in addition to all the MLAs in Maharashtra) is another story. Those 46 MPs are crucial to the survival of the Manmohan Singh ministry.'
The RSS wants three nominees inducted: Tejaswi Surya, the young BJP MP from Bengaluru South, Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, a Rajya Sabha member, and former Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis.
With the political class ranged against them, the civic representatives of the panel drafting the Lokpal bill face an uphill battle. Sheela Bhatt reports from New Delhi.
Days before the July 25 indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar in Delhi, Team Anna is in full swing, 'preparing' the local populace. The team members have clearly stated that they have no choice but to go ahead with a 'do or die' campaign, to press for a strong Jan Lokpal Bill. Priyanka reports from New Delhi.
Team Anna member N Santosh Hegde on Sunday saluted Parliament for rising to the occasion and giving its nod to key elements of Jan Lokpal Bill, but cautioned that people should "not expect a miracle" as enacting the legislation will "take its own time".
Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi on Friday re-allocated the portfolios held by arrested state Minister V Senthil Balaji, on the recommendations of Chief Minister M K Stalin but "has not agreed" to the minister continuing in the cabinet, the Raj Bhavan said.
A Supreme Court vacation bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice MM Sundresh noted that the petition was still pending in the high court and asked the ED to approach that court.
Criticising Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for organising a 'janta darbar' which ended in chaos on Saturday, former Team Anna member Kiran Bedi took a jibe at him over the lack of "mature" governance and said such meetings do not happen on the streets or the rooftops.
The 74-year-old activist on Monday said he wants to start on a tour of different states after ending his fast and hopes to "gather energy" from his supporters to get the Jan Lokpal bill passed and then to fight for electoral reforms, including 'Right to Reject' and 'Right to Recall'.
Supporters of erstwhile Team Anna on Sunday marched towards Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's residence as part of their 'gherao' protest against the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party BJP on the coal block allocation issue.
They just wanted their angst noticed, and as a symbol of recognition, Jallikattu, restored without the annual ritual of court cases and adjournments, explains N Sathya Moorthy.
Under fire from a section of erstwhile Team Anna members for deciding to join politics, activist Arvind Kejriwal has said there could not be 100 per cent unanimity on any decision and "very dear" friends who are opposed to it are "small in number".
Vehicular traffic came to a halt in many parts of Guwahati city on Thursday for hours as thousands of landless farmers stormed the city demanding land and denouncing government's design to allot agriculture land to industrialists at throwaway prices flouting all norms.
Union minister and a key member of the Lokpal bill drafting committee Kapil Sibal on Thursday said that Team Hazare's version of the legislation was unacceptable, as some of its provisions were against the basic tenets of the Constitution.
Five cases were on Sunday registered against unknown persons for rioting and violating prohibitory orders in connection with the protest of erstwhile Team Anna during which around 1,000 people were detained, including activists Arvind Kejriwal and Prashant Bhushan.
Activist Kiran Bedi on Sunday appeared to be breaking ranks with erstwhile Team Anna by skipping a protest against corruption over differences on targetting the Bharatiya Janata Party, saying they cannot forget the support from the opposition party in some ways on Lokpal Bill.
Erstwhile Team Anna will gherao the residences of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and BJP chief Nitin Gadkari in New Delhi on Sunday on the coal block allocation issue even as prominent member Kiran Bedi voiced her disagreement over targeting the main opposition party.
The remarks were made when the former IPS officer accused the media of ignoring corruption allegations against United Progressive Alliance's ministers and not giving adequate coverage to the issue despite erstwhile Team Anna giving evidence regarding it.
A local court has dismissed a complaint seeking prosecution against Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal for his alleged offensive remarks against the members of Parliament.
RTI activist and Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal has been summoned personally by a district and sessions court in Bulandshahr in Uttar Pradesh on July 25, for his alleged offensive remarks against members of Parliament.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday hit out at Team Anna for seeking an independent probe into allegations made by it against UPA presidential nominee Pranab Mukherjee before he contests the poll, saying it should not try to become a "super constitutional authority".
Team Anna on Sunday targeted Congress Presidential candidate Pranab Mukherjee and demanded an independent inquiry into allegations they had made against him despite the fact that the government has trashed the charges against him and 14 other ministers made by it last month.
Mehta told the bench that Balaji is an influential minister and the high court has allowed his transfer to a private hospital which could hamper investigation.
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