What Delhi does, Mumbai can do better, a mammoth gathering of activist Anna Hazare's supporters proved. Sanchari Bhattacharya reports.
What Delhi does, Mumbai can do better, a mammoth gathering of activist Anna Hazare's supporters proved recently
Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal has alleged that the government was spending crores of rupees and planting stories in the media to separate Anna Hazare from him, Kiran Bedi and Prashant Bhushan. Accusing the government of trying to defame Team Anna with charges that would not stick, he said during a programme on TV channel Aaj Tak that "there's a conspiracy to separate Anna Hazare". "The government is spending crores of rupees for this. Stories are being planted," he said.
Kharge said that the BJP is trying to misuse his 'Ravan' remarks for electoral gains in Gujarat.
Uma Bharti, who recently made a comeback to Bharatiya Janata Party, on Tuesday said the United Progressive Alliance government was deliberately 'discrediting' Anna Hazare and Baba Ramdev for channelising growing discontent among common people against the UPA government.
The people of Kashmir are strong enough to handle the National Conference. But what about the soul-searching Congress, asks Aditi Phadnis
Shooting off another letter to Anna Hazare on the eve of Hisar bypoll, Digvijay Singh, who is leading Congress' counter-attack, on Wednesday, raised the issue of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh support to the activist and cautioned him that those around him were keeping him in dark.
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.
Social activist and close aide of Anna Hazare, Prashant Bhushan, said that the move would help their cause and will let people know the truth.
Lashing out at Team Anna for its anti-Congress propaganda, Uttar Pradesh Congress Chief president Rita Bahuguna Joshi
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi is all set to copy anti-corruption crusaders Anna Hazare and Arvind Kejriwal's strategy to mobilise crowd to make his proposed fast for 'sadbhavna' a super success.
Anna Hazare, who called off his two-day fast in Mumbai for a strong Lokpal Bill due to failing health and poor public response, on Thursday left for his native Ralegan Siddhi village
Rediff.com's Shubir Rishi visits the MMRDA ground in Mumbai - Anna Hazare's fast venue - late on Tuesday night to get a feel of the mood among the protestors. He shares his experience.
There was minor improvement in Anna Hazare's health on Wednesday as his fever subsided to 100 degrees from 102 degrees on Tuesday night even as his close associates continued to press him to end his fast.
Anna Hazare, who is suffering from fever, on Tuesday refused to give up his fast despite requests from close aides.
Irom Sharmila, who has been on fast close to 11 years to demand the repeal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act(AFSPA) in Manipur, feels Anna Hazare's campaign against corruption is "somewhat artificial."
Under attack for his comments on Anna Hazare, Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari on Wednesday opted out of the Parliamentary Standing Committee going into the Lokpal issue even as Bharatiya Janata Party inducted two new members in the panel being reconstituted after its term ended today.
Anna Hazare fever gripped India and Lokpal became the buzzword. But after the 12-day rollercoaster, will the government keep its promises? Once implemented, will the Lokpal become just another anti-corruption law, asks Ganesh Nadar
Alleging that the Congress government at the Centre was cheating Anna Hazare on the Lokpal Bill issue, Baba Ramdev on Tuesday said that he would campaign against the parties opposing to bring back the black money stashed away in foreign banks.
Fresh signs of trouble emerged on the Lokpal issue on Saturday with activist Anna Hazare and his aides terming as a "betrayal" the government's refusal to pass a resolution over the issue, response that the Parliament after the debate will not pass the resolution, which is their prime demand.
Anna Hazare's anti-corruption movement that saw Indians rally in support has been named among the top 10 news stories in the world this year by Time magazine, which listed the Arab Spring and killing of Osama bin Laden as the top attention-grabbing headlines.
Lok Satta party president Dr Jayaprakash Narayan may have his differences with Anna Hazare over the Lokpal Bill, but he salutes the Gandhian's efforts to bring the youth and the middle class to the forefront of the anti-corruption movement. Sheela Bhatt reports
'Reservations are anathema to many of the core supporters of Anna Hazare.'
Following a meeting of Congress Parliamentary Party, where some members felt that leaders from Maharashtra should be roped in to talk to the 74-year-old Gandhian, Deshmukh drove to Ramlila Maidan to meet Hazare but maintained that it was "in his personal capacity."
'Much of what we call corruption is but a side effect of a deeper malaise. The chalta-hai attitude and its innovative twin jugaad. Shortcuts have become endemic. Every shortcut we take compromises a principle, corrodes an institution and sets a wrong precedent,' says Shashi Shekhar.
The all-party meeting convened by the government has seen some interesting position being adopted by political parities on the issue of the Jan Lokpal bill with nine parties asking the government to trash its bill, which is with the standing committee. However, there are no takers for Anna Hazare's Jan Lokpal bill either.
The desperation of the middle class in heralding Anna Hazare as the Second Gandhi is symptomatic of a typical Indian mindset, says Navneet Anand
From medicines to medical check-ups; air-coolers at the Maidan to the overhead waterproof tents; from meals to snacks everything at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi is being taken care of by protestors themselves. Contributions, both in the form of cash and service, are pouring in at Ramlila Maidan for the Anna Hazare-led anti-corruption protests.
Prominent maulanas and Islamic scholars of Uttar Pradesh have reacted strongly to Delhi Jama Masjid Shahi Imam Ahmed Bukhari's diktat to Muslims to keep off Anna Hazare's anti-corruption campaign because his supporters were chanting 'vande mataram'.
Anna Hazare's team would end the confrontation if the government agrees to 'modify substantially' its stance on several clauses of the Lokpal bill. Sheela Bhatt reports from New Delhi.
A Rediff.com correspondent explains the many twists and turns before the decision to arrest Anna Hazare on Tuesday morning.
In a strongly-worded statement, the People's Union for Civil Liberties has condemned the detention of activist Anna Hazare by the Delhi police.
India erupted in protest on Tuesday morning as soon as the news of Anna Hazare's arrest in Delhi broke out. Rediff.com presents comprehensive reports from across the country.
Strongly defending Anna Hazare's detention, the government on Tuesday said the Gandhian activist was taken into custody after the Delhi police came to the conclusion that he and his supporters would commit a "cognisable offence" by defying prohibitory orders. Home Minister P Chidambaram said that after being taken into custody, the 73-year-old was taken to the Police Officers Mess in Civil Lines and he will be produced before a magistrate.
Activist Anna Hazare has to give up his irrationally anti-political stance for the movement against corruption to succeed, K Govindacharya says
Hundreds of Indian-Americans came out in support of social activist Anna Hazare's anti-corruption crusade in New York. Rediff.com's Aseem Chhabra reports.
Seeking to mount pressure on government, Anna Hazare on Tuesday threatened to launch another hunger strike from the last day of Parliament's Winter Session if a strong Jan Lokpal Bill is not passed by then.
Condemning the recent assaults on civil society activists and stating that Anna Hazare's movement had served its purpose, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday assured that a bill for a strong Lokpal would soon be cleared.
While senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh said on Tuesday that Anna Hazare must be praised for the 'good work' he has done in his native village Ralegan Siddhi, he continued his tirade against the social activist's movement and Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal.
Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh on Saturday said that he would extend all possible support to veteran social activist Anna Hazare if he initiates a protest against corruption in Uttar Pradesh. "If he (Anna Hazare) wants to hold demonstrations in any part of the country, then Uttar Pradesh would be the best place. If he holds a demonstration or fast there, then we (Congress) will also do the same in his support," he said.
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