Union Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal on Friday said Gandhian leader Anna Hazare was seeking to create a 'parallel government' through a Jan Lokpal bill without accountability, flouting the basic structure of the Constitution.
Confusion prevailed over Anna Hazare's protest plans on Monday with a prominent Municipal Corporation of Delhi functionary saying that the civic body has not given permission for the agitation at Ramlila Maidan even as Team Anna insisted that they have got the nod.
High drama was witnessed at the Team Anna core committee meeting in Noida on Sunday with the group expelling one of its members Mufti Shameem Kazmi for allegedly recording its proceedings even as he claimed that he quit the movement as it was turning anti-Muslim.
Right to Information activist Arvind Kejriwal has been in the forefront of the massively publicised movement to demand a Lokpal Bill. A close associate of Gandhian Anna Hazare, Kejriwal has staunchly defended the movement and rebuffed many allegations made against civil society activists by the ruling Congress party. He has also taken on senior Congress leaders like Digvijaya Singh and Pranab Mukherjee who had taken pot shots at Hazare's movement.
Within a month of stitching an alliance to fight corruption, Team Anna is now fuming at yoga guru Ramdev for his "one-upmanship" and "not taking into confidence" Anna Hazare while announcing the future course of action.
Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh on Saturday accused activist Anna Hazare of provoking violence, in an apparent reference to his reaction over the attack on Union minister Sharad Pawar. In two of his posts on the microblogging site Twitter, Singh said, "Anna Gandhian -- Provokes Violence. Bedi "X Cop"-- Urges People to break Law Kejriwal "X IRS"- Returns Donations to Anonymous. Shanti Bhushan "X Law Minister"- Promises to fix Judges. Pranab Da How right you are!"
The joint drafting committee on the Lokpal Bill met in New Delhi on Tuesday for the last time amid "fresh and serious" differences between the government and Anna Hazare team.
After disbanding his team, Anna Hazare is working on plans to stitch a new team in the crusade against corruption for which he has convened a meeting of like-minded people by the end of this month.
Social activist Anna Hazare will undertake a month-long statewide tour from May 1 to create public awareness on the need for a strong Lokayukta legislation in Maharashtra.
Sandeep Dikshit, Congress Member of Parliament and Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit's son, on Tuesday attributed his party's defeat in the Delhi civic polls to a disconnect between the party and the people. He also claimed that an environment was created by reports of the Comptroller and Auditor General and the anti-corruption movement led by Anna Hazare that made people believe the Congress was at the "centre of all the wrong" that was happening.
Anna Hazare-led activists on Monday reacted sharply Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee for accusing the civil society of trying to undermine democracy and said his statement betrayed a "distorted understanding of democracy and arrogance of power".
Rajeev Srinivasan on how Ramdev, Hazare, and Husain are all representative of different strands in Indian society.
Anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare on Monday accused the office bearers of Congress and Union ministers of intentionally "defaming" the Lokpal movement and the emerging NGO sector in the country.
In a veiled attack on Arvind Kejriwal, activist Kiran Bedi said erstwhile Team Anna has become "suspect" in its programme after a few chose the political route and suggested that Anna Hazare step in to provide direction.
On a day his associates staged a protest in New Delhi against the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party, Anna Hazare came out with a new blog handle which is other than the one on the official website of India Against Corruption.
Dubbing Ramdev and Anna Hazare as 'masks' of destabilising forces, the Congress on Tuesday alleged a conspiracy of national subversion has been undertaken jointly by the forces of right reaction and left anarchism.
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh on Thursday said it had no "official link" with Anna Hazare's anti-corruption movement and nobody had sought its support for the campaign.
Anna Hazare has taken exception to Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan's remarks that his team should come out in the open on joining politics, asking him whether only those who fight elections can speak against corruption.
Strongly condemning the police action against yoga guru Baba Ramdev, civil rights activist Anna Hazare termed it as "strangulation of democracy" and said civil society will launch protests throughout the country to "teach the government a lesson"
The Vishwa Hindu Parishad on Thursday said its volunteers were active in Gandhian Anna Hazare's movement against corruption in Delhi last year.
Tendulkar, a Bharat Ratna awardee, till now enjoyed X category security which has been withdrawn.
Slamming Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan for asking the Centre to give green nod to the first phase of the controversial Lavasa project, Anna Hazare has accused him of violating his oath of office.
In a sarcastic attack on Anna Hazare and his team, Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray on Monday asked the social activist not to take any credit for "the anti-Congress sentiments" in the country created by rising prices.
Fresh controversy dogged Team Anna on Saturday as Anna Hazare's former blogger made public a blog, which was kept under wraps to blunt the Gandhian's claim that he had not spoken to him about re-organising his core team.
Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi on Tuesday said it would be 'a political mistake' if Gandhian Anna Hazare floated a political party.
Tax returns of 100,000 entities under scanner, as preparation for DTC, say officials.
After sharing dais with Anna Hazare, former Army Chief V K Singh on Sunday joined yoga guru Ramdev's protest in New Delhi, dubbing the government as a "property dealer" which takes over farmers' land in the name of development.
Anna Hazare on Thursday urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to immediately convene a meeting of Ganga Basin Authority and stop construction of dams on the holy river till a decision is taken by the body.
Activist Medha Patkar on Tuesday suggested that Anna Hazare may have taken the decision to disband his team in view of his "concerns" about getting involved with their proposed political front.
Veteran activist Anna Hazare on Monday night defended his key associate Kiran Bedi from the allegations of "air travel corruption", pointing fingers at a "gang of four" in the ruling party being behind the campaign against his team.
After raising questions about the way in which funds for activist Anna Hazare's agitation was managed, Swami Agnivesh on Monday claimed that the Gandhian was upset about the management of the accounts.
Congress leader Dijvijay Singh on Monday alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party coming to the defence of Arvind Kejriwal in the controversy surrounding the transfer of money to his non-government organisation was proof enough of the alliance between Team Anna and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh-BJP.
Paving the way for the formation of a political party, Team Anna on Monday disbanded itself and decided not to have any more talks with the government on the Lokpal issue.
Questions were raised on Sunday about the use of funds donated by the public to Team Anna with Swami Agnivesh alleging that money was deposited in the trust run by Arvind Kejriwal from which the names of major team members were missing, a claim dismissed as made "out of anger".
Against the backdrop of indefinite fast by Anna Hazare coming to an end, Law Minister Salman Khurshid has said the government is "much better equipped" now to deal with such situations even as he underlined that the Lokpal will be created before the 2014 elections.
Adding another issue to his agenda, Anna Hazare on Monday rose in support of a movement to save the Ganga by visiting activist G D Aggarwal who was flown to New Delhi for treatment after his health deteriorated during a hunger strike in Varanasi to save the river.
Law Minister Salman Khurshid, who has so far maintained silence on his meeting with Anna Hazare over a month ago, on Friday lamented that nothing could come out of the talks.
Indicating steps towards forming a political party, Team Anna on Friday announced launching of a "movement" and putting up candidates in the 2014 elections.
Did Anna Hazare abruptly announce the ending of the fast, taking his associates by surprise?
With Team Anna indicating that they may come out with a political alternative, the government on Thursday claimed that its stand on the movement by Anna Hazare and his team has been vindicated and it was glad that their intention has come out in the open.
