After two prominent activists resigned from his team after objecting to the way the campaign is being run, Anna Hazare on Wednesday hit out at his critics, saying he ignores "incoherent and illogical" discussions about his movement. Hazare said, "My movement has given rise to incoherent discussions in political circles and I do not pay heed to them". "I have heard illogical discussions and interpretations crop up due to political rivalry," he said.
Hazare, 81, had started his indefinite fast on January 30 over appointment of anti-corruption watchdogs.
Slamming the central government over various scams, veteran social activist Anna Hazare's key aide Arvind Kejriwal has said that the Centre plays politics of power, corruption, and crime whereas they are fighting for truth, and honesty.
Ahead of Anna Hazare's one-day fast in Delhi, which has now been rescheduled to March 25, to press for protection to whistleblowers, Team Anna on Wednesday accused the ruling Congress of "sabotaging" the Jan Lokpal Bill.
Team Anna on Tuesday appeared set to oppose the United Progressive Alliance in the next Lok Sabha elections saying its mission is to ensure that "new and apt people" come to power in the 2014 polls. It also attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party alleging that it supported the team earlier with a political motive.
Warning that a "wave of protest" is building up, Anna Hazare on Monday asked the government to bring a strong Lokpal Bill or quit while his team softened its stand on yoga guru Ramdev whom they attacked on Sunday for sharing dais with Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.
Describing Anna Hazare's campaign as 'brahminvaad', activist Swami Agnivesh today hit out at the Gandhian saying there was "no democracy" in his agitation and dissenting voices were thrown out of the team.
Anna Hazare on Sunday joined his three close aides in their indefinite fast while his team attacked yoga guru Ramdev for sharing dais with Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, describing the Bharatiya Janata Party leader as a "murderer of humanity".
Yoga guru Ramdev on Sunday came under attack from Team Anna as he shared the stage with Chief Minister Narendra Modi in Ahmedabad and said he found no basis for allegations of corruption in Gujarat.
Asserting that violence can't be the solution to get rid of the rampant corruption prevailing in the country, veteran social activist Anna Hazare's key aide Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday said that he has been receiving messages about his office being attacked, and termed the whole episode to be a conspiracy against civil society activists.
In another gesture of support to Team Anna, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh on Friday said it will stand behind any individual or organisation taking up the fight against corruption.
A poor crowd on a weekend at Team Anna's indefinite fast on Saturday did not deter Anna Hazare to threaten a fast-unto-death from Sunday on the Lokpal issue and talk about a political alternative in the 2014 elections.
The Congress on Friday hit out at Anna Hazare and his team accusing them of turning dharnas into a 'joke' as their indefinite fast against corruption entered its third day with yoga guru Ramdev today joining them.
Anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare has admitted that the public's enthusiasm for fasts has waned, as his team continues its indefinite strike for Day 3 at Jantar Mantar demanding a strong Lokpal Bill.
At a time when his close aides are going hammer and tongs against President Pranab Mukherjee, Anna Hazare on Thursday congratulated him on his election to the highest constitutional office.
In an apparent dig at Anna Hazare's campaign for Jan Lokpal Bill, National Advisory Council member Aruna Roy on Monday said one has the right to dissent in a democracy but not to overrule the functioning of Parliament and its multifarious structures.
With Team Anna asking people not to back their party in Hisar Lok Sabha bypolls, chief ministers of three Congress-ruled states and senior leaders on Monday hit back at the Jan Lokpal Bill champions, dubbing them as agents of Opposition "trying to grind their own axe in the guise of fighting graft".
Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh has said that anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare is a mask of all anti-Congress parties and Bharatiya Janata Party intends to put up the social activist as its presidential candidate.
Reacting to Mayawati's objection over the absence of any Dalit on the Jan Lokpal Bill draft committee, Agnivesh said, "I do welcome her objection and thank her for raising the issue. But I would also like to ask the UP chief minister to declare whether she had taken any effective steps to curb the rampant corruption in her government.
Anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare feels there is no 'ideological confusion' in his anti-Congress posture and the appeal to elect 'good people' from all parties.
Unhappy with the ultimatum set by Anna Hazare on the Jan Lokpal issue, a senior minister on Wednesday said the government is committed to bring a "strong and effective" Lokpal bill to deal with corruption but made it clear that this cannot be done by "putting a pistol on someone's neck".
As Anna Hazare threatened to campaign against Congress on the Lokpal issue, Union Law Minister Salman Khurshid on Tuesday said the government will bring the anti-corruption bill in Parliament's winter session.
Law Minister Salman Khurshid, who met Anna Hazare recently, on Wednesday rejected his charge that the government was trying to create a wedge between Team Anna members.
Accusing the government of conspiring to split his team, Anna Hazare on Wednesday said he will not hold talks with government any more on Lokpal issue, an announcement that came in the wake of leak of reports of his meeting with Law Minister Salman Khurshid recently.
A significant number of participants in the referendum were the youth, who did not mince words while expressing their disgust with corruption and the blatant reluctance of the entire political class in taking it head-on.
Social activist Swami Agnivesh on Thursday claimed if Congress President Sonia Gandhi did not ask her party General Secretary Digvijay Singh to stop statements "contrary" to her commitment against corruption, her party's image would be affected.
Responding to Anna Hazare's complaint against her "colleagues", Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday assured him that she does not support "politics of smear campaign" and that she was strongly committed to the institution of Lokpal.
Expressing his resentment at the recent smear campaign against civil society members by certain elements, including some within the Congress and the government, to derail the fight against corruption, social activist Anna Hazare shot off a strongly-worded letter to Congress president Sonia Gandhi.
Briefing mediapersons about Saturday's first Lok Pal joint draft committee meeting after a three-hour closed door meeting between Anna Hazare, Shanti Bhushan, Prashant Bhushan, Arvind Kejriwal and Justice N Santosh Hegde on Friday, the members declared their assets to the press, claiming they had nothing to hide.
In India democracy is only notional. One can see the discriminatory nature of policies for different classes of citizens. The policies adopted have increased the gap between the rich and the poor. This is not just corruption, it is a big scam! says Sandeep Pandey.
Anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare on Thursday charged 'political and criminal forces' of trying to dilute the nationwide movement against graft by defaming and criticising the campaign for a comprehensive Lokpal bill.
Activist Swami Agnivesh, who fell out with Anna Hazare's team during the agitation over Lokpal Bill, on Tuesday sought forgiveness from the Gandhian and the others "who felt hurt" through his "unintentional acts".
India needs sustainable political and governance reform, not 'Mr India'-type prime-time populism, says Sanjaya Baru
Janata Dal-Secular leader H D Kumaraswamy's remarks that Mahatma Gandhi would have turned corrupt in the present day politics on Monday drew sharp reaction from leaders including Gandhian Anna Hazare, who wondered how the country could eliminate corruption if leaders talk like this.
Following is the text of the Gazette Notification issued by the government constituting the Joint Drafting Committee comprising ministers and civil society activists to prepare the draft Lok Pal Bill.
Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday said L K Advani's proposed rath yatra against corruption should not be seen as a 'competition' to Anna Hazare's anti corruption campaign, but as a 'complementary' action.
Union Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal on Friday told media persons that only govt officials will be members of the joint drafting committee on Lokpal Bill.
According to sources in the government, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee is firmly against activist Anna Hazare's demand for formally constituting a joint committee, with representatives from the civil society and the government, to draft a strong anti-corruption bill. Hazare has been on an indefinite fast in New Delhi since Wednesday to press for his demand.Mukherjee has stopped the government from issuing a notification to make the joint committee formal.
Anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare on Wednesday ruled out his joining politics or his movement taking a political turn.
A court in New Delhi has refused to direct the Delhi Police to register an FIR against Anna Hazare and his team members for allegedly disrespecting the national flag during their anti-graft protest in August last year.
