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.
This is the full text of the address to the nation by President Droupadi Murmu on the eve of India's 78th Independence Day.
'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.'
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".
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'.
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.
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.
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".
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.
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.
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.
His remarks came following a RTI reply that the forensic examination by Central Forensic Science Laboratory, Chandigarh shows that the CD was "doctored", contradicting findings of two other such tests.
Rejecting Team Anna's allegations of corruption against him, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday declared he will quit public life if the charges on coal block allotments are proved.
Future Gaming of lottery king Santiago Martin was the biggest purchaser of electoral bonds at Rs 1,368 crore, of which nearly 37 percent went to the DMK.
Yet another instance of the sharp divisions between Union ministers and Team Anna members came to surface when they discussed structure and powers of the proposed Lokpal during their meetings.
Apparently upset over the critical comments on state Lokayukta Bill, the Himachal Pradesh government on Monday cancelled a meeting with Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal, who attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party saying it appeared the saffron party and the Congress were on the same page on the legislation.
Attacking Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday alleged that he has "badly cheated" people who elected him by inducting people who are "facing serious criminal and corruption charges".
Briefing MPs on the Lokpal issue at a meeting of the Congress Parliamentary Party, Mukherjee told them that while the fundamental rights of a person to demonstrate was important, the government was also duty bound to save a human life. Voicing concern over the bad press the government was getting on the Lokpal issue, Congress members of Parliament wanted it to be proactive in apprising people about the truth of the matter.
Reacting sharply to former Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal's allegation that the Central Bureau of Investigation raids on certain coal firms were staged, the Congress on Thursday demanded evidence from the anti-graft activist.
Condemning Arvind Kejariwal's statement on Parliament and members of Parliament, Congress General Secretary Digvijay Singh on Monday said that the Team Anna member must explain in which type of system he believes.
Attacking lawmakers, Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal has courted controversy by saying that "rapists, murderers and looters" are sitting in Parliament, with enraged parties claiming that his "outrageous" remark showed that he had no faith in democracy and the Constitution.
Six Metro stations in central Delhi will be closed for most part of the day on Sunday, an apparent precautionary step following a call by erstwhile Team Anna to gherao residences of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Bharatiya Janata Party chief Nitin Gadkari over the coal block allocation issue.
Former Supreme Court judge N Santosh Hegde says a political party floated purely on the anti-corruption plank will not succeed in elections at this stage as money power and diversity play a role.
As he prepares to launch his indefinite protest against corruption and blackmoney from Thursday, yoga guru Ramdev on Tuesday said he has no political agenda and refused to comment on erstwhile Team Anna's decision to take political plunge.
The indefinite fast by Team Anna against the United Progressive Alliance government on corruption issue entered the second day on Thursday with a thin attendance at the venue.
Investigators have not found any evidence against Team Anna member Kiran Bedi on allegations that she "looted" various paramilitary forces and police organisations in the name of imparting free computer training under the banner of her NGOs, police sources said on Monday.
A Congress councillor was arrested in connection with the attack on Right To Information activist and Team Anna member Akhil Gogoi while search was on for five others allegedly involved in the assault.
Team Anna's demand for incorporating Right to Reject a candidate in Parliament and assembly elections is an "interesting possibility", feels Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi.
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi was protecting his cabinet colleagues by not allowing prosecution against them, Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal said in Ahmedabad on Friday.
With pressure mounting on the Centre for enacting a strong anti-graft legislation, Home Minister P Chidambaram on Saturday said the Lokpal Bill will "certainly" be introduced in the Winter Session of Parliament.
Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray has criticised Team Anna for pressuring Parliament to get the Lokpal Bill passed. "More than a Lokpal, we need a hangman to execute Afzal Guru, convicted in Parliament attack case," the Sena chief said.
'The BJP was supporting him from behind in order to bring down the Congress government.'
