'Let us start the debate in 2012 in favour of a directly elected executive with a civil society-based Electoral College as a check for a directly elected strong leader in the mould of a Narendra Modi with civil society as a check which serves the national interest far more than an indirectly selected, weak but acceptable prime minister vulnerable to pressure from regional parties and outside groups that may have propped him or her up,' argues Shashi Shekhar.
A senior leader, who declined to be identified, said the party was not told about the police action, like it was also not aware of the four ministers, led by Mukherjee, driving down to the Delhi airport on June 1 to meet Baba Ramdev, a move which had come for flak from several party leaders
A K Bhattacharya wonders if Kisan Baburao Hazare get his timing wrong, or is Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee trying hard to get his timing right?
The Lokpal Bill, which seeks to curb corruption, has run into rough weather after the government objected strongly to certain clauses in the much-anticipated bill.The prime bone of contention during Monday's meeting between representatives of the civil society and the Centre was the proposed inclusion of both the prime minister and the judiciary within the purview of the Lokpal bill.
Capart wants to help the industry fulfil corporate social responsibility
A compilation of quotes of those who participated in the debate on the Lokpal and Lokayukta Bill, 2011, in Rajya Sabha on Thursday
Welcoming ending of fast by Anna Hazare, the Congress on Sunday said it is a "win-win situation" for all stakeholders.
In an inclusive democracy, every section of civil society, and every individual, has a participatory role in governance, including policy-making, says former chief justice of India J S Verma
We had asked our readers to suggest ways to resolve the stand-off between the United Progressive Alliance government and Team Anna Hazare on the proposed Lokpal Bill draft. The responses.
Nobody understands the deep causes of defeat and victory better than the defeated. The defeated have been to all the battlefields. They have looked into the eyes of their soldiers and those of the opponents, says Aakar Patel.
Asserting that it was for Parliament to take a final view on inclusion of Prime Minister under the ambit of Lokpal, Parliamentary Standing Committee chairman Abhishek Singhvi on Wednesday said the panel was not meant to reach out to or please Team Anna or any other group.
Arguing that Anna Hazare should not deride democratic institutions, National Advisory Council member Aruna Roy on Saturday said the Gandhian was "ill-advised" as there was still scope for the civil society group to change the government's version of Lokpal Bill.
Insisting that there was no wrongdoing in the arrest of Anna Hazare, Home Minister P Chidambaram on Wednesday said the government would deal with him "administratively and politically" but made it clear that his Jan Lokpal Bill was not acceptable.
The ruling dispensation seems to have plumbed the depths of depravity following the constitution of the Lokpal panel. Whatever residual respect that one might have for a 'clean' prime minister was lost once a carefully orchestrated campaign of calumny was unleashed against civil society nominees on the Lokpal panel, says Virendra Kapoor.
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.
Admitting that incidents of money distribution were occurring despite its strong measures for Wednesday's Tamil Nadu Assembly polls, the Election Commission warned for the second day that it may postpone elections in areas where the malpractice takes place.
The Congress on Monday dared social activist Anna Hazare to contest from the Chandni Chowk Lok Sabha seat in New Delhi after the latter released findings of his team's survey in Union Minister Kapil Sibal's constituency on the Lokpal issue
The Supreme Court on Monday expressed reservation in looking into the safety aspect of all the nuclear plants saying that it did not have expertise but said it can hear the case pertaining to setting up of an independent regulatory body to oversee them.
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.
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.
Chief Minister of Maharashtra Prithviraj Chavan said it is an opportunity for the state, which has been at the forefront of economic development in the country, to showcase itself as a favourable investment destination.
Senior leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party made it clear that the party does not subscribe to the views expressed by Dr Pravin Togadia, International general secretary of Vishwa Hindu Parishad, who said at Ahmedabad that those who convert Hindus should be beheaded. Surprisingly, none of them were willing to go on record.
Plagued by controversies, Team Anna is approaching retired judges requesting them to become part of a committee to be set up by the civil society group to probe allegations against its key members.
With is top leader Ranjan Daimary holed up in jail after his arrest in Bangladesh last year, the anti-talks faction of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland is sending out feelers about its willingness to hold dialogue with the government and restore a peaceful atmosphere in the state.
Police released a 'file photo' of the man, saying it had been 'developed' by them.
Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed has stated that there is a need for evolving a general consensus among various political parties at the national level to resolve the Kashmir issue. Mufti said, "Strengthening of democratic institutions and emergence of a strong civil society is a good sign and the country has to respond to the prevailing positive atmosphere in the region'.
Condemning the recent assaults on civil society activists and stating that Anna Hazare's movement had served its purpose, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday assured that a bill for a strong Lokpal would soon be cleared.
Smarting under humiliating defeat in the by-election to Hisar Lok Sabha seat in Haryana, Congress on Tuesday rubbished the idea that the "Anna factor" had played a role in its drubbing and questioned the civil society members' silence on corruption in Mayawati-ruled Uttar Pradesh.
A meeting between Sonia Gandhi and Anna Hazare is expected soon despite differences between Congress and the civil society over the issue of Lokpal Bill. An indication to this effect was given by a senior party leader who declined to be identified.
Do not defend corruption by advancing specious arguments as to who is authorised to speak for the people.
Union Minority Welfare Minister Salman Khursid, a key member of the joint drafting committee on the Lokpal Bill, on Monday defended the government's approach as 'sensitive and lenient' and said none could be above the existing parliamentary system.
The ongoing slanging match between the civil society group and the government poses a danger of stalling the Lokpal Bill and derailing the movement against corruption.
With the issue of bringing the prime minister within the ambit of the Lokpal remaining a ticklish affair, the government is expected to soon call an all-party meeting to seek views across the political spectrum.
Anna Hazare on Thursday threatened to go on hunger strike from August 16 alleging "backtracking" on Lokpal bill but the government refused to yield, saying it cannot allow creation of a "parallel" structure.
Dodging immense political heat that Congress is facing from the opposition and the civil society members, United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi is reportedly on a visit to her hometown Italy.
The United States on Wednesday expressed concern over punitive action taken by the National Democratic Alliance government against scores of non government organisation, asserting that a vibrant civil society was important for democratic traditions and that those who act peacefully to seek change are not anti-government.
The Congress has launched a campaign to counter the anti-graft movement by Anna Hazare and Baba Ramdev and accused a section of civil society of trying to weaken democratic institutions.
Activist Anna Hazare started his one-day fast at Rajghat in Delhi to protest against the police crackdown on Baba Ramdev and his supporters during their agitation against corruption.
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