That the political philosophy of Anna Hazare closely resonates with the overall anti-democratic Hindutva ethos owes, in part, to the Brahminical worldview that they share, says Yogi Sikand
Rejecting Team Anna's claim of influencing the outcome in the Hisar by-election, Indian National Lok Dal chief Om Parkash Chautala on Tuesday said that people voted against the Congress to vent their anger against the ruling party. "Team Anna's claim of taking credit is wrong. People voted against the Congress to vent their anger against the ruling party. They were fed up by the misrule of Congress at the Centre and the state," he said.
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
Activist Medha Patkar, who is part of Anna Hazare's core group, said in spite of talking about the broad issue, the Congress general secretary should have deliberated on the immediate issues raised by the Gandhian, whose fast for a strong Lokpal continued for the 11th day.
Sahim Salim spoke to Muslims in the national capital to get a sense of what they think about Anna Hazare's anti-corruption campaign.
As Anna Hazare's fast entered tenth day today, thousands of his supporters organised mass prayers for the well being of the Gandhian leader. A large number of Anna supporters stayed at the Ramlila ground whole night singing patriotic songs and chanting anti government slogans.
Hectic efforts to break the deadlock over Lokpal were on for the second day on Wednesday as Team Anna presented a fresh draft for consideration by the government.
All business establishments in Guwahati on Tuesday downed their shutters for the day to express solidarity with Team Anna's agitation against corruption and to demand the adoption of the Jan Lokpal Bill.
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.
Veteran social activist Anna Hazare refused to come out of Tihar jail on Tuesday evening saying he wants an unconditional release and unconditional permission to go ahead with his indefinite fast at Jai Prakash Narayan Park in New Delhi.
Anna University Coimbatore invites applications from diploma holders for admission to BE/ BTech degree programmes.
A Delhi court on Saturday directed the Delhi Police to file a detailed action taken report on a plea for lodging FIR against Anna Hazare and his former team members for allegedly cheating over four crore people by selling them 'Anna SMS cards', whose service was discontinued before the promised one year time, which earned them Rs 100 crore.
The feeling is gathering strength in the Congress that it can see off Anna Hazare if it comes to a fight in the political arena, and that there is nobody else of his stature left to call it to account, says TVR Shenoy.
Former Law Minister Shanti Bhushan is the only prominent Team Anna member who has donated to the anti-corruption movement led by Anna Hazare, shelling out Rs 4 lakh, in the past six months.
Medha Patkar, a member of Team Anna, on Friday said there was a need for "overhauling" the group as it was facing a number of allegations and many members of the core committee were being targeted. At the same time, Patkar said she will not be attending Saturday's core committee meeting, which Anna Hazare and Justice Santosh Hegde have also decided to skip. "I don't think there is a difference of opinion," she said.
Team Anna must show some humility instead of imposing its will on society. It doesn't hold a monopoly on understanding how to make governance more inclusive, clean and people-responsive. It must recognise that finally, it is Parliament that prevailed on the Lokpal legislative process, and that's how things should be, says Praful Bidwai.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday welcomed Team Anna's plan to provide a political alternative by joining electoral politics.
The prime minister has to blame himself because he refused to make up with Anna Hazare when the social activist from Maharashtra was willing to meet him more than half way, says Kuldip Nayar.
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The Centre has initiated a dialogue process with Team Anna at various levels to break the deadlock over the Lokpal issue, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Harish Rawat said on Sunday.
The anti-corruption protest of activist Anna Hazare on Friday had a supporter in Suhail Hindustani, a key accused in 2008 cash-for-vote scam, who appeared in a Delhi court wearing a Gandhian cap written Mai Anna Hoon on it.
Anna Hazare and his supporters have given a two-page undertaking to the police on the activist's protest fast in Ramlila Maidan, saying they would abide by existing rules and regulations and the crowd will not exceed the capacity of the ground. In the undertaking signed by Anna Hazare himself and his associates -- Arvind Kejriwal, Prashant Bhushan, Kiran Bedi and Shanti Bhushan -- they also said that if any clause of it was violated, they would be liable to be prosecuted.
In a veiled warning to Anna Hazare for his proposed fast, Congress leader Digvijay Singh on Wednesday indicated that the Gandhian might be meted out the same treatment, depending upon the prevailing situation at that time, as yoga guru Ramdev was given at Ramlila ground.
The government is still looking at all the pros and cons of the issue and is not yet definite that permission is being given to the social activist to go ahead with the fast
Rajya Sabha on Tuesday passed a bill to regulate the appointment and service terms of Chief Election Commissioner and election commissioners incorporating key amendments like retaining their status at par with Supreme Court judges, upgrading the search committee and inserting a new clause to protect them from court cases while discharging their official duties.
After Congress General Secretary Digvijay Singh, another Congress leader has incurred social activist Anna Hazare's wrath. This time Hazare has slammed Human Resource Minister Kapil Sibal for sabotaging the Lokpal bill by not bringing a good bill before the Parliament.
Social activist Anna Hazare on Aurangabad said in Aurangabad that he was puzzled by the nomination of cricketer Sachin Tendulkar to the Rajya Sabha.
Call it Annagiri or Gandhigiri. Government officials in the coal town of Jharkhand are being offered roses and white caps by activists of Anna Hazare-led India Against Corruption with a request to help weed out corruption.
As Anna Hazare's fast entered Day 11 on Friday, the split in his team widened. It's now Swami Agnivesh and Justice Hegde versus the rest! The duo feel that Hazare should have called off the fast on Thursday and that protesting out the prime minister's residence was uncalled for.
The tremendous response, especially from the youth of the country to a 74-year-old Gandhian, has put paid to many political dreams. It is the leadership vacuum that Anna Hazare has filled, write Col Anil Athale
Government and Team Anna on Saturday spoke of the need for a dialogue on the Lokpal issue despite continuing rhetoric on both sides.
Having plumped for electoral politics, Team Anna may soon face the acid test on whether to contest the upcoming assembly elections in Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh.
Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Saturday admitted that it would have been better if the Delhi police had not arrested social activist Anna Hazare.
22 eminent persons, including former Army Chief V K Singh, on Thursday appealed to Team Anna to call off their indefinite fast as the activists are said to be considering announcing a "political alternative" before ending their stir.
The government should accommodate Anna's suggestions on the Lokpal Bill, says Ram Madhav.
India and Pakistan both share the dubious distinction of suffering from the debilitating problem of corruption. This menace has not only crippled Pakistan's economy but also hampered all kinds of developmental activities in the country.
There was veiled criticism of the Manmohan Singh government by members of the Congress Working Committee for allowing Anna Hazare and his team to hijack a democratically elected government, and for the use of pressure and the threat of fasts to ensure that the government acted as per their diktat.
The Hazare movement and media have focussed on corruption of the 'spectacular' variety. But what has escaped the discussion is the institutionalised corruption in-built in the conduct and practice of professions ike the medical profession in India, says Dr Sanjay Nagral.
World No 1 Iga Swiatek overcame a strong early challenge from former champion Sofia Kenin to reach the second round of the Australian Open