Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday said that his office has been kept under the purview of the Jan Lokpal Bill, whose broad contours have been finalised, and the bill will be taken up in the cabinet early next week.
Congress leader Digvijay Singh on Monday said activist Anna Hazare was "overestimating" his version of the Jan Lokpal Bill. Singh also sought a comprehensive strategy to tackle corruption. "I think he is overestimating the Jan Lokpal bill. Corruption can only be removed if there is a comprehensive strategy by the judiciary, bureaucracy, police and government," Singh told reporters. "Just passing the law will not help any one. Corruption will not be removed only by Lokpal."
Former chief justice of Delhi high court A P Shah, who was named by Arvind Kejriwal as an internal Lokpal of India Against Corruption, on Saturday termed the Jan Lokpal Bill drafted by erstwhile Team Anna as "too draconian".Addressing a conference of state Lokayuktas, Shah favoured setting up of a strong Lokpal to contain corruption in the country but criticised the Jan Lokpal Bill, saying certain provisions of it were not within the limits of the Constitution.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday met Lt Governor Najeeb Jung and discussed various issues relating to the Jan Lokpal Bill. Sources said Kejriwal apprised Jung of his government's views on introduction of the bill in the assembly.
Appealing to Anna Hazare to end his fast, the government on Wednesday said it has forwarded Jan Lokpal Bill to Parliament's Standing Committee for consideration and it is up to it to take a decision.
Anna Hazare on Tuesday began his indefinite fast at his village in Maharashtra to press for immediate passage of Jan Lokpal Bill in Parliament even as Government said it was serious about getting the anti-graft measure passed in the current session itself.
The Delhi government on Wednesday cleared the Jan Lokpal Bill, paving the way towards creating the post of an anti-graft ombudsman, which it claimed was similar to the one proposed during the Anna Hazare movement, and will table it in the Assembly soon.
Social activist Medha Patkar on Wednesday expressed confidence that the Jan Lokpal Bill, now being studied by a Parliamentary Standing Committee, will finally come into effect as it has public support.
With the Aam Aadmi Party's deadline of passing Jan Lokpal Bill nearing, the Delhi government on Tuesday said its draft was being finalised and it would be cleared in a cabinet meeting on Friday.
Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday said their fight for a strong Jan Lokpal Bill was in the decisive stage and advocated the path of non-violence for achieving the objective.
Indian Against Corruption led by Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal will undertake a survey on Jan Lokpal Bill in Uttar Pradesh seven districts, including Rae Bareli represented by Sonia Gandhi, and constituencies of members of Parliament who are on the standing committee scrutinising the measure.
Bharatiya Janata Party member of Parliament Varun Gandhi, who proposed to move the Jan Lokpal Bill as a private member's bill, believes that as a parliamentarian this was the best way he could help Anna Hazare's movement.
The Jan Lokpal Bill is likely to be approved by the Delhi Cabinet on Tuesday as its draft has almost been finalised by a panel headed by chief secretary.
Hazare said the Congress should understand the reality after the serious drubbing it received in the just-concluded assembly elections and ensure the passage of the Lokpal Bill in the winter session of Parliament which is underway
Making it clear that there will be no let-up in his crusade against corruption, Anna Hazare on Sunday asked people not to vote for MPs who have opposed the Jan Lokpal Bill in the next general elections and "gherao" their houses even as he announced to undertake a nationwide yatra including states where assembly polls are due.
Bharatiya Janata Party Member of Parliament Varun Gandhi on Tuesday said that he had plans to introduce Anna Hazare's version of Lokpal Bill as a private member's bill in Parliament. "I plan to introduce the Jan Lokpal Bill as a private member's bill in the Parliament. I will do that next week," said the BJP Lok Sabha member from Pilibhit in Uttar Pradesh.
Activist Anna Hazare on Monday accused the Centre of not keeping its promise about passing the Jan Lokpal Bill and said he will sit on an indefinite hunger strike in his hometown Ralegan Sidhi from Tuesday for the passage of the anti-graft law in Parliament.
The Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday questioned the Aam Aadmi Party -led Delhi government's "hasty" move to push for passage of Jan Lokpal Bill in the Assembly and said.
Delhi Chief Minister-designate Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday promised to bring Jan Lokpal Bill in 15 days and termed the rule as "wrong" which makes it mandatory for a state to seek the Centre's nod to pass a law.
The Delhi cabinet on Friday decided to call a special session of the assembly to take up the Jan Lokpal Bill that seeks to punish corrupt officials on February 16 at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium instead of the historic Ramlila ground as announced by ruling Aam Aadmi Party earlier.
Members of the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha on Saturday debated and discussed the issue of the Jan Lokpal bill, for which activist Anna Hazare has been on a hunger strike since the last 12 days.
With several versions of the Lokpal Bill doing the rounds, the Bharatiya Janata Party is in favour of inclusion of the prime minister in the ambit of Lokpal with certain riders and agrees with most of the provisions of Jan Lokpal Bill and Aruna Roy's draft, party sources said in New Delhi on Thursday.
Former Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee on Monday took a swipe at the Aam Aadmi Party government, saying the country cannot run on 'Mohalla Sabhas' and a law cannot be decided on the streets.
Congress on Tuesday said it will not support the Jan Lokpal bill if it is brought by the Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi without following "constitutional norms".
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.
Activists of India Against Corruption led by Anna Hazare, got a shot in the arm with a referendum receiving overwhelming support in Congress President Sonia Gandhi's constituency Rae Bareli on Saturday.
Preparing for a showdown, Aam Aadmi Party government tonight said it was going ahead with tabling of the Jan Lokpal Bill in the Delhi assembly on Thursday notwithstanding Union Law Ministry's view that Centre's prior approval was required for it even as Congress and BJP held the move by the ruling dispensation as "unconstitutional".
Alleging that Bharatiya Janata Party and Congress have joined hands to stall Jan Lokpal bill, Aam Aadmi Party on Saturday said its government would ensure passage of the proposed legislation in the assembly's special session without prior approval of the Centre.
The Delhi Cabinet on Monday cleared the draft of the much talked-about Jan Lokpal bill which provides for covering all public servants -- from chief minister to Group D employees -- and seeks life term as maximum punishment for those found guilty of corruption.
The Aam Aadmi Party government is unlikely to table the anti-graft Jan Lokpal Bill on the first day of the assembly session beginning on Thursday.
The Aam Aadmi Party government's plans to enact the Jan Lokpal Bill in a public venue next week faced fresh hurdles with Solicitor General Mohan Parasaran insisting that Lt Governor's prior approval is necessary while key ally Congress toughened its opposition.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday threatened to "go to any extent" over his pet anti-graft legislation, the Jan Lokpal bill, which is opposed both by the Congress, whose continued support is essential for the survival of his government, as well as the BJP.
The Bharatiya Janata Party and Congress members of Legislative Assembly on Friday disrupted proceedings in the Delhi assembly demanding tabling of the Lt Governor's communication to the Speaker against the introduction of Jan Lokpal Bill in the House without Centre's clearance.
Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal is all set to quit as chief minister of Delhi after his plans to introduce the Jan Lokpal Bill in the Delhi legislature failed.
Social activist and close aide of Anna Hazare, Prashant Bhushan, said that the move would help their cause and will let people know the truth.
The Delhi high court on Wednesday sought a response from the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government on plea seeking to restrain it from holding session outside the assembly to fulfill the poll promise of clearing the Jan Lokpal Bill.
Team Anna proved to be a big hit in Lucknow where thousands converged on the banks of the Gomati river to cheer social activist Arvind Kejriwal and others who swore to not just unseat corrupt politicians but to bring grassroots changes in the system of governance.
The Delhi Cabinet on Friday decided to call a special session of Assembly to take up the Jan Lokpal Bill, which seeks life term as maximum punishment for corrupt babus, on February 16 at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium instead of historic Ramlila ground as announced earlier.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Thursday night his government plans to introduce Jan Lokpal bill in the assembly on Friday and renewed his threat of resigning if the proposed legislation was defeated by Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party.
Anna expressed apprehension that the Centre may pose obstructions as the legislation provides for probing corruption in Delhi, where the central government offices are located.