A group of Maratha reservation activists torched the first floor of the Majalgaon Municipal Council building and vandalised it in Maharashtra's Beed district, soon after setting on fire the residence of local NCP MLA Prakash Solanke on Monday, the police said.
Amidst speculations that the number of protestors at the Ramlila Ground in Delhi will dwindle at the end of the extended weekend, people turned up in large numbers on Tuesday to support Anna Hazare who is on an indefinite fast to press for a stronger Lokpal Bill.
At about 2 pm on August 20, anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare completed 100 hours of his indefinite fast. The 74-year-old Gandhian chose the moment to address the mammoth crowd gathered at the Ramlila Ground who had come from different parts of the country to express their support for Anna Hazare's cause.
All Opposition political parties were united on Tuesday in their condemnation of the government's decision to detain Anna Hazare and his aides, hours before the Gandhian activist was scheduled to go on an indefinite fast against corruption in New Delhi. Leaders of the Left Front are scheduled to meet their counterparts in the Bharatiya Janata Party and other Opposition parties at 2 pm on Tuesday to chalk out their strategy in the wake of Hazare's detention.
The Andhra Pradesh government on Sunday revoked the suspension of Vijayawada Police Commissioner K V Rajendranath Reddy nearly two weeks after he was taken off duty following the "escape" of Lagadapati Rajagopal MP from a hospital.
A fresh stand-off appears to be brewing between Anna Hazare and the government with the Gandhian seeking Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's intervention over the strict conditions imposed for his indefinite fast from August 16. But he was sternly told by the PM to approach the Delhi police.
Adopting a tough posture, team Anna Hazare on Wednesday asked a Parliamentary panel to recommend to the government to withdraw the Lokpal Bill and come out with a fresh measure that deals with problem of corruption faced by the public.
Questioning Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's honesty, the Anna Hazare team has raised its pitch on the Lokpal Bill demanding that its version be placed before Parliament, saying that the "weak" government draft was a "joke" played on the nation.
Facing Anna Hazare's threat to go on an indefinite fast from August 16, government and the Congress on Thursday hardened its stand, making it clear to activists involved in the drafting the Lokpal Bill that Parliament is the final authority in making laws.
Amid the din and noise created over black money and corruption, the proposals to revitalise the rural economy by strengthening agriculture were simply ignored, says food security expert Devinder Sharma.
The government and Baba Ramdev were on Friday locked in a standoff over his indefinite fast against black money leading to a blame game between the two sides. The yoga guru was in a tight corner after government released\\na letter from his aide that he would call off the agitation by mid-day.
Rediif.com's Sahim Salim reports from Ramlila Grounds in New Delhi, where yoga guru Baba Ramdev will begin his indefinite fast against corruption on Saturday.
"It is not a competition. Ultimately we will have to think about the country. We will have to think about the welfare of the people. Ramdev is taking up some issues. Anna Hazare has taken up some issues No one is outshining anyone," Hazare's close associate Arvind Kejriwal said
Kanimozhi and Kalmadi were welcomed as if they were freedom fighters emerging from jail. Getting bail does not mean that the cases against them have come to an end, or that they have been found innocent by the trial courts, says T V R Shenoy.
This time it is more of a non-political movement which aims at systemic reform. It does not aim to change the government. It wants to change the system. If Hazare succeeds in this he will make a far deeper impact on the system than JP or VP did.
Noted social activist Swami Agnivesh has said that there is no need to show any leniency to Team Anna members Prashant Bhushan, Arvind Kejriwal and Kiran Bedi if they are found guilty of violating the law of the land.
The end of an extended weekend saw the crowd of protesters at Ramlila Maidan, where social activist Anna Hazare is on an indefinite fast, dwindling on Tuesday.
The people will rule in a democracy, and that is what made the government give up the restrictions it had imposed for allowing Hazare to hold his indefinite fast in Delhi.
Anna Hazare on Tuesday alleged he is being targeted by the government, claiming his records in the Army were being checked and people sent to his village in Maharashtra to check on his organisation.
In a late night crackdown, the police on Wednesday evicted YSR Congress Party president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy from the venue of his indefinite hunger strike called to protest bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh and took him into preventive custody as doctors voiced concern over his deteriorating health.
The government is not engaged in any 'back door' dialogue with yoga guru Ramdev, who went on an indefinite fast on the issue of repatriation of black money, Union Law Minister M Veerappa Moily said. "There is no back door and open door talks with any one. Whether it is Ramdev or anyone," he told reporters. Moily evaded reply when asked whether the government has sought the help of Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravishankar for negotiations with the yoga guru.
The government and Baba Ramdev have been unable to come to a negotiated settlement over the Baba's indefinite fast at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan. But the real story is the widening gulf between the Sonia Gandhi-led Congress party and the Dr Manmohan Singh led United Progressive Alliance government which has now come out almost in the open. In an interesting development, Sonia Gandhi called a meeting of senior leaders at her residence at 6.30 pm on Saturday.
After an all out tongue lashing by the Congress party, the government has hardened its position vis--vis yoga guru Baba Ramdev with the government deciding to reject most of his demands except the ones over black money which are under discussion.
The Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday came out in support of social activist Anna Hazare, on the second day of his indefinite fast in Delhi, demanding implementation of Jan Lokpal Bill
Srinagar observed a sudden shutdown on Friday after the health of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chairman Yasin Malik, who is on an indefinite fast, got deteriorated.
Togadia said he would go on an indefinite fast from Tuesday to push the Hindutva cause.
Anti-graft crusader Anna Hazare's indefinite hunger strike to press for passage of the Jan Lokpal Bill in Parliament entered the seventh day on Monday.
Road and rail traffic in Kolkata and surrounding areas was thrown out of gear on Tuesday following an hour-long blockade by the Trinamool Congress to protest the 'forcible' acquisition of agricultural land for the Tata Motors car project.
A group of around 300 lawyers on Monday went on a day-long fast in front of the Madras High Court, a day after their associations decided to indefinitely boycott courts to press their demands, including action against police officials for the February 19 lathicharge in the court premises.
Patkar vomited on the fifth day of her indefinite fast, but refused any medical check-up when a government doctor's team met her.
Trinamool Congress leader Mamta Banerjee on Thursday decided to end her hunger strike, television sources said.
She was on an indefinite fast since February 21 to protest against the Maharashtra government's policy on slums.
Agitators called for a 'Chalo HCU' protest march to press their demand for a 'Rohith Act' to safeguard SC/ST students.
It has agreed to submit a 'no objection' statement to an American court for directing Union Carbide to clean up the contamination caused by its abandoned factory in the Madhya Pradesh capital.
The two were admitted after their health deteriorated owing to the hunger strike they were on at the L-G's office.
The unprecedented move came under severe criticism from the party's opponents, the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress.
Five students of Osmania University, who have been holding an indefinite hunger strike in support of statehood for Telangana state, were on Sunday forcibly shifted to hospital as their health condition raised concern.
Once again, RCB are looking on course to finish without a trophy after losing six out of their first seven games.
Hurling petrol bombs and stones, Gorkhaland supporters on Thursday fought pitched battles with police, who broke up protests, bursting teargas shells and baton-charging violent crowds, plunging Darjeeling hills into deeper turmoil.
