In the whole sordid series of happenings after Anna Hazare broke his fast, the only side to emerge with credit is the government. In fact, it is outshining the civil society, says B S Raghavan.
The Anna Hazare team on Saturday said it has been asked by Delhi police to give an undertaking that it will end its protest fast at a park in central Delhi in two-and-half days, a condition which it said was not acceptable and "totally unconstitutional".
Extending support to social activist Anna Hazare over Lokpal Bill issue, Mumbai's famous dabba-walas (lunch-box carriers) on Friday said there would be no service on August 16, the day he proposes to start his hunger strike.
A powerful campaign has been launched against Hazare and the movement he led. 'Anti democratic', 'Fascist' are some of the adjectives hurled at him. There is a less than subtle attempt to paint him a Hindu fundamentalist, writes Colonel Anil Athale (retd)
A powerful campaign has been launched against Hazare and the movement he led. 'Anti democratic', 'Fascist' are some of the adjectives hurled at him. There is a less than subtle attempt to paint him a Hindu fundamentalist, writes Colonel Anil Athale (retd)
Taking exception to Anna Hazare's praise for Narendra Modi, senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh on Wednesday said the Gujarat Chief Minister had not even appointed a Lokayukta despite being in power for seven years. "I respect Anna Hazare a lot for taking up the fight against corruption.
Even if Anna Hazare's protest is not an enduring solution, it would most certainly be a brake on the incorrigibility of the political and bureaucratic class, says Mahesh Vijapurkar.
Chief Election Commissioner Dr S Y Quraishi is not embarrassed by activist Anna Hazare's candid confession that Indian elections are corrupt and if he ever contested in one, he would end up losing his security deposit.When asked about Hazare's statement that Indian voters are not educated enough -- "they take a bottle of alcohol or Rs 500 and cast their vote" -- CEC Quraishi stated that the statement was not at all telling on his job. He argued, "Not at all, not at all."
This time it is more of a non-political movement which aims at systemic reform. It does not aim to change the government. It wants to change the system. If Hazare succeeds in this he will make a far deeper impact on the system than JP or VP did.
Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Arun Jaitley on Friday said it was a "shame" that respected Gandhian Anna Hazare had to resort to fasting to protest against deep-rooted corruption in the country.
Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee appealed to Anna Hazare to end his hunger strike, which entered the fourth day, and join the informal committee to make an effective Lokpal Bill.
Sonia Gandhi is unlikely to meet Anna Hazare who wanted to discuss with the Congress chief the civil society's stand on the Lokpal Bill on Thursday.
Congress leader Digvijay Singh on Thursday denied that Anna Hazare would be given a treatment similar to yoga guru Ramdev if he goes on fast unto death from August 16 on the Lokpal issue.
Former Supreme Court judge P B Sawant died due to cardiac arrest at his residence in Pune in Maharashtra on Monday morning, family sources said. He was 90.
Talks between the government and Anna Hazare-led civil society failed to make any headway on Wednesday and the two sides have agreed to meet again on June 20 and 21 to bridge "strong divergence" of opinion.
Anna Hazare's close aide and former 'super cop' Kiran Bedi tells Sriram Balasubramanian that their anti-corruption movement has just begun, and gives full credit to the youth and people of India who made it 'their' movement.
The Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday came out in support of social activist Anna Hazare, on the second day of his indefinite fast in Delhi, demanding implementation of Jan Lokpal Bill
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh came to the help of Anna Hazare who was shown the door by the political class of the country at the all party meeting.
Satyamev Jayate 2 has a dated, circa 1990s script which won't find acceptance with today's generations, observes Syed Firdaus Ashraf.
'They also think that if all opposition parties rally behind him, then 2024 will be Rahul versus Modi and that will be advantage BJP'
Calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi "Saheb" during a discussion on the government's resolution on good works in the Delhi assembly's special session, Kejriwal said the nation is not with him in his "theatrics".
How did Arvind Kejriwal, a one-time votary of secularism, turn into a bargain-basement version of Narendra Modi, wonders Vir Sanghvi.
The Aam Aadmi Party claimed on Wednesday that the Bharatiya Janata Party has approached four of its legislators in Delhi, asking them to switch sides and join the saffron party or else, face 'false cases, the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) and the ED (Enforcement Directorate)'.
Actor-director Shashank Udapurkar's biopic Anna, a linear sketch of the man, who once brought the Delhi Establishment on its knees, fails to inspire, feels Prasanna D Zore.
Syed Ahmed Bukhari, now on the side of two leading ladies -- Mamata Banerjee and Mayawati -- thinks Anna Hazare ditched the Bengal chief minister, resulting in the poor turnout at Didi's Delhi rally on Wednesday.
Union Minister Salman Khurshid on Monday slammed Aam Admi Party convenor Arvind Kejriwal for his opposition to the Lokpal Bill even after anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare supported it.
High drama was witnessed on Tuesday at Aam Aadmi Party convener Arvind Kejriwal's press conference when a man, claiming to be Anna Hazare supporter and a Bharatiya Janata Party activist from Maharashtra, threw black paint on him and other party members present there.
Stand-up comedian Vir Das gives us some profound insights on why Barack Obama would never have been elected in India, why Anna Hazare needs to eat and why Sharad Pawar was slapped by an angry man.
"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.
Extending support to Anna Hazare, a group of students studying at Indian Institute of Technology, in Kharagpur refused to accept their degrees from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Extending support to Anna Hazare, a group of students studying at Indian Institute of Technology, in Kharagpur refused to accept their degrees from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Arvind Kejriwal met Anna Hazare on Saturday night shortly after which the Gandhian had a jibe at the Delhi chief minister saying some people take bungalows despite having promised not to do so.
As anti-graft crusader Anna Hazare began his day-long fast at Jantar Mantar on Sunday, thousands of his supporters came out on to the streets across the country.
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".
Social activist Anna Hazare said that both Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi are "unacceptable" as prime ministerial candidates.
Kiran Bedi, who recently joined the Bharatiya Janata Party, said she had tried several times to talk to Anna Hazare over the phone but was not able to do so as the anti- corruption crusader was either "sleeping or taking rest".
Underlining the role of civil society movement led by Anna Hazare in drafting the Lokpal bill, President Pranab Mukherjee on Saturday said this was the first time that a law was made with public participation, hitherto an exclusive domain of legislature.
Team Anna on Friday ended its nine-day fast and announced its decision to join politics. Arvind Kejriwal, a member of Team Anna's Core Committee, stated that the group wanted to change the system by cleaning it up.
The actress stars in a film called Corruption, that's inspired from Anna Hazare's movement.
Social activist Anna Hazare had written a 3-point letter to Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal, asking him to specify if the money collected for the 'Anna movement' was being used to fund his election campaign.
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