Targetting both the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party, Anna Hazare on Sunday said those whose hands are 'blackened' with corruption are levelling allegations against each other and that they cannot provide any future to the country.
Janata Party President Subramanian Swamy on Saturday said that he was ready to extend support to social activist Anna Hazare provided he distances himself from the "Naxalites" in his team.
Several slogan-shouting workers of Pawar's party reached the Yadav Baba temple, once the abode of Hazare, and demanded that the anti-graft campaigner apologise for his remark made on Thursday after a youth slapped the NCP supremo to protest corruption and price rise.
The Congress on Wednesday attacked activist Anna Hazare for his remarks that alcoholics should be flogged and shamed in public, saying it amounted to instigating people to take the law into their own hands and weakening democracy.
Against the backdrop of strong protests against the gang-rape of a student in New Delhi, Anna Hazare on Monday shot off a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh demanding strong punishment like death penalty or life imprisonment for rapists.
Anna Hazare returned to blogging on Tuesday, a fortnight after he fell out with his former blogger, whom he accused of airing his views without his authorisation.
After threatening to campaign against the Congress in five election-bound states if the United Progressive Alliance government failed to get the Jan Lokpal Bill passed in the winter session of Parliament, Anna Hazare has asked political parties not to use his name or photograph during elections. "This directive was given during a two-day meeting of workers at Ralegan Siddhi," Hazare's aide Suresh Pathare said.
Demanding an impartial inquiry into the controversy surrounding Army, Team Anna on Tuesday alleged that the probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation and Intelligence Bureau will not bring out the truth as the bodies are "under the control of government".
Anna Hazare's demand for right to recall elected representatives and reject candidates is not feasible in a huge country like India, Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said on Friday and claimed that the provision, if implemented, would only create political instability.
As part of its efforts to reach out to more people, the anti-corruption movement led by Anna Hazare has introduced an SMS card which will provide subscribers with round the year updates about the campaign.
Activist Anna Hazare on Sunday night said the civil society representatives will decide on Monday whether he should first undertake a nationwide tour against corruption before undertaking fast if a strong Lokpal bill is not ready.
Veteran activist Anna Hazare's former blogger Raju Parulekar, who fell out with Hazare after the activist publicly snubbed him on the issue of restructuring of the core committee, gives out certain explosive details in this exclusive email interview with rediff.com.
Veteran activist Anna Hazare's former blogger Raju Parulekar, who fell out with Hazare after the activist publicly snubbed him on the issue of restructuring of the core committee, gives out certain explosive details in this exclusive email interview with rediff.com.
Congress General Secretary Digvijay Singh has advised veteran social activist Anna Hazare, who turned 74 today, to refrain from going on frequent fasts due to his old age even as he sharpened his attack on Baba Ramdev.
Top Team Anna members have rejected criticism that Anna Hazare was forced to adopt the path of political alternative and claimed that he was fully involved in the decision to go political.
Anna Hazare is not allowed to take any decisions or lead the anti-corruption movement as some members of his core team "control" and "exploit" him, his former blogger Raju Parulekar has alleged.
Raking up the issue of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh-Team Anna "nexus", Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Friday alleged that Mohan Bhagwat, Anna Hazare and Govindacharya are "contradicting" one another over the issue.
Congress leader Digvijay Singh on Monday said activist Anna Hazare was "overestimating" his version of the Jan Lokpal Bill. Singh also sought a comprehensive strategy to tackle corruption. "I think he is overestimating the Jan Lokpal bill. Corruption can only be removed if there is a comprehensive strategy by the judiciary, bureaucracy, police and government," Singh told reporters. "Just passing the law will not help any one. Corruption will not be removed only by Lokpal."
Defending his flip flop on Arvind Kejriwal, activist Anna Hazare on Tuesday said he had to change his views on his former aide as times changed and felt that there will be "more trouble" if he explains the reason.
Law Minister Salman Khurshid said Anna Hazare's move to disband his team which was agitating on Lokpal was "part of growing up and moving ahead" while Congress steered clear of the issue, terming it as their internal matter which was "not relevant" to the party.
Key Team Anna member N Santosh Hegde on Monday appeared to be in disagreement with Anna Hazare's decision to disband the team, which he said could have "gone on" to create a mass awareness on corruption and maladministration without resorting to the path of fasting.
A strong Lokpal Bill should include steps to protect the lives of those fighting corruption, says Team Anna. Priyanka reports
Charging the government of not willing to rid the country of corruption, Anna Hazare on Sunday asked the people to pledge support to a party which provides for a political alternative and vote for their candidates.
Hazare, after his usual visit to Rajghat before any such protest in Delhi, came to the capital's dharna hotspot Jantar Mantar at around 11 am to loud cheers from tricolour-wielding anti-corruption supporters and chants of 'Vande Mataram' and 'Bharat Mata ki Jai'. He is fasting to demand justice for slain IPS officer Narendra Kumar, murdered allegedly by mining mafia in Madhya Pradesh, and a strong law to protect whistleblowers.
Rediff.com correspondents across the country spoke to the aam admi, unanimously battered by corruption in one way or the other, on how they perceive the episode. While some are unaware, others think it is the much-needed remedy to counter corruption.
Blaming Arvind Kejriwal's fascination for power for split in anti-graft movement, Anna Hazare today said he will not vote for the Aam Aadmi Party charging that it is going the same way as others by taking the path of 'money through power' and vice versa.
Lending his support to Anna Hazare's movement against corruption, former army chief Gen V K Singh on Friday asked the people to "throw" the corrupt out of power and support the alternative political force sponsored by the activist.
Even as Wednesday's serial low-intensity blasts in Pune may have managed to divert attention from Team Anna's ongoing anti-graft protest, police continue to look for clues into the attack.
Under attack over allegations of financial misconduct and demands for its disbanding, Team Anna on Sunday decided to formulate a constitution for its anti-corruption movement and revamp the core committee after that.
As the health of his aides deteriorated, Anna Hazare on Wednesday warned the government that he will not negotiate with them if the fasting activists are forcefully removed from the Jantar Mantar protest site in New Delhi.
In tough posturing, Anna Hazare on Tuesday ruled out any talks with the government or even the prime minister to end their stir and expressed readiness to return Padma Bhushan award bestowed on him, even as government showed no signs of initiating negotiations with his team.
External Affairs Minister S M Krishna on Tuesday urged activist Anna Hazare and his associates to contest general elections. "They should contest the elections so that we all know who has the support of the people," he said. Hazare and members of his team have gone on an indefinite fast at Jantar Mantar in Delhi to seek the implementation of the Lokpal Bill.
Team Anna's indefinite fast against the United Progressive Alliance government entered the third day on Friday with crowds still keeping away from the protest site where some people misbehaved with women media persons.
Janata Party President Subramanian Swamy on Thursday alleged that Team Anna was behaving like "naxalites" as they were "not keen on solutions" and instead bent on dragging the issue of corruption.
Claiming that a "straight-forward and simple" man like Anna Hazare was surrounded by politically ambitious people, senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh on Sunday launched an attack on Arvind Kejriwal and Kiran Bedi, saying they need to look inwards instead of just terming politicians as criminals.
A group of people, who claimed to be National Students' Union Of India activists, created ruckus at Team Anna's fast venue at Jantar Mantar by shouting solgans against Anna Hazare prompting the volunteers to remove them from the venue.
A group of people, who claimed to be National Students' Union Of India activists, created ruckus at Team Anna's fast venue at Jantar Mantar by shouting solgans against Anna Hazare prompting the volunteers to remove them from the venue.
Stepping up pressure ahead of the indefinite fast from Wednesday, Anna Hazare on Tuesday issued a new threat of a 'jail bharo' agitation if the government does not concede to their demands in three-four days.
Anna Hazare and his team on Tuesday spoke in different voices on the indefinite fast from Wednesday with the activist asserting that it is for Lokpal Bill while his aides said it is limited to their three demands, including a special probe into allegations against Union ministers.
In the most candid admission of Team Anna's political ambitions, Arvind Kejriwal has said a non-Congress, non-Bharatiya Janata Party people's front will be put up in the 2014 polls, which will be backed by Anna Hazare and his team.