Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Saturday claimed that he has wished activist Anna Hazare a very happy new year and also wishes him a long life.Singh has repeatedly hit headlines this year for making uncharitable comments about Hazare and his aides.
A day after Parliament approved the landmark Lokpal Bill, President Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday said movements like that of Anna Hazare have opened new dimensions of democratic structure suggesting that they cannot be brushed aside.
AICTE has directed technical institutes and universities to appoint ombudsmen to address student grievances faster. Is this a good move?
Activist Kiran Bedi on Sunday appeared to be breaking ranks with erstwhile Team Anna by skipping a protest against corruption over differences on targetting the Bharatiya Janata Party, saying they cannot forget the support from the opposition party in some ways on Lokpal Bill.
Maintaining that it was against the "principle of protection", the Law Ministry has opposed a provision in the Lokpal Bill which gives the ombudsman power to file charge sheet against a public servant without the prior sanction of competent authority.
Fourteen months after he was bundled out of Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi in a midnight police swoop, yoga guru Ramdev will return to the same venue on Thursday for another round of indefinite protest demanding bringing back black money stashed abroad
A day after talks on Lokpal Bill failed, activist Anna Hazare on Thursday accused the government of having no intention of enacting a strong anti-corruption law and said he will undertake an indefinite fast from August 16 if a diluted legislation is introduced.
The decision was taken at a meeting in senior BJP leader LK Advani's residence on Monday, which was attended by the party's allies. At a press conference soon after, Jaswant Singh described the decision as a "great honour".
Team Anna will start its campaign in five election-bound states from Uttarakhand from January 21.
Anna Hazare, who has been hospitalisd after his 12-day fast, on Tuesday received a 'get well soon' message from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Downplaying differences between the Congress and its United Progressive Alliance partner Trinamool Congress, Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal on Friday squarely blamed the Opposition for the government's inability to get through the Lokpal Bill and Foreign Direct Investment.
Denying reports that Anna Hazare had close connections with the late Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangha leader Nanaji Deshmukh, key Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday said it was part of Congress' "tactics" to divert attention from the Lokpal Bill.
Asserting that she will fight for the passage of the Lokpal bill in Parliament, a combative Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday hit out at the Opposition for "obstructionist" tactics and Team Anna for "deliberate and malicious" criticism of the government.
Supporting social activist Anna Hazare and yoga guru Ramdev's joint crusade for a strong Lokpal bill, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday said his party welcomes all those fighting black money and corruption.
Social activist Anna Hazare on Tuesday met family members of late former Union Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and offered his condolences to them.
The Parliamentary panel examining the Lokpal Bill on Monday began finalising its report with a large section of members favouring enacting a single law to set up the anti-corruption ombudsman at the Centre and the states.
In a bid to evolve a consensus over the controversial Lokpal Bill, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday met leaders of various political parties with an assertion that his government was committed to an effective Lokpal legislation. In his initial remarks at the meeting, Dr Singh said, "Our government stands committed to an effective Lokpal legislation". Union ministers Pranab Mukherjee, P Chidambaram, A K Antony and Salman Khurshid were among those present at the meeting.
In an apparent show of unanimity, the report of the Select Committee on Lokpal Bill, which has recommended delinking creation of Lokayuktas in states from the central bill, is scheduled to be tabled in the Rajya Sabha on Friday by Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party.
Ahead of the indefinite fast by Anna Hazare and his team, the government on Tuesday highlighted the slew of measures taken by it over the last one year to tackle corruption which include curbing the discretionary powers of ministers and time-bound decisions on prosecution requests.
Attacking lawmakers, Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal has courted controversy by saying that "rapists, murderers and looters" are sitting in Parliament, with enraged parties claiming that his "outrageous" remark showed that he had no faith in democracy and the Constitution.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday said Congress President Sonia Gandhi's statement that the opposition had always obstructed the passing of a strong and effective Lokpal Bill in Parliament, and growth in Gujarat, as one full of half-truths.
Bharatiya Janata Party leader Arun Jaitley, said late Thrusday night that the discussions on the Jan Lokpal bill should be held within the provisions of the Parliamentary procedure.
Nine opposition parties, including the Left, on Friday termed the government version of the Lokpal Bill as "unacceptable" and said they would jointly organise nationwide protests next week to demand an effective legislation to curb corruption in high places.
The Indian Army chief, General VK Singh, will petition the Supreme Court on Monday against the MoD's ruling that his date of birth will not be corrected in the official record
Political parties, including United Progressive Alliance ally Trinamool Congress, on Thursday night cried foul after the Rajya Sabha failed to pass the Lokpal Bill terming it as a "black day" for democracy and the Opposition demanded the resignation of the government for losing "political and moral authority".
Noted advocate and Bharatiya Janata Party member Ram Jethmalani on Thursday created a flutter in the Rajya Sabha when he made certain remarks against persons having money stashed away in Swiss banks.
Bollywood veteran actor Anupam Kher visited Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority to express his support to Team Anna and passage of Jan Lokpal Bill. Toral Varia Deshpande speaks to Anupam Kher.
Pushing for passage of the Lokpal Bill in the Lok Sabha, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday rejected demands for bringing the Central Bureau of Investigation under the purview of the anti-graft ombudsman, warning that no entity should be created inconsistent with the country's Constitutional framework.
Dubbing the Lokpal Bill introduced by the government in Lok Sabha as "weak", The Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday said it will move amendments against provisions like reservation for minorities, which it maintained is unconstitutional, and bringing the Central Bureau of Investigation under the ombudsman.
Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray has criticised Team Anna for pressuring Parliament to get the Lokpal Bill passed. "More than a Lokpal, we need a hangman to execute Afzal Guru, convicted in Parliament attack case," the Sena chief said.
Janata Party President Subramanian Swamy on Saturday said that he was ready to extend support to social activist Anna Hazare provided he distances himself from the "Naxalites" in his team.
Most of the parties concur with Hazare's demands for inclusion of Prime Minister, lower bureaucracy and CBI's anti-corruption wing under Lokpal. However, they did not favour bringing higher judiciary under the ombudsman and argued for a separate mechanism to check corruption in it.
Ahead of his day-long fast for a strong Lokpal Bill, Anna Hazare launched a vitriolic attack on the government, charging that it was "intoxicated" by power and said the "second fight for independence" has started which will go on till corruption is eradicated.
The common man wants the government to demonetise high denomination currency notes like Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 to effectively combat the menace of black money in the country, a finance ministry report has revealed.
Bringing Rahul Gandhi in the line of fire, Anna Hazare on Friday alleged that Congress might have taken a U-turn on contentious issues of lower bureaucracy and Central Bureau of Investigation in Lokpal under his instructions and claimed that the government was delaying resolution of Foreign Direct Investment (in retail) imbroglio to avoid passing Jan Lokpal Bill in the Winter Session of Parliament.
Ramdev's fast entered the third day on Saturday with the yoga guru threatening to intensify his agitation if his demands on black money and Lokpal bill are not met by the deadline set by him.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee going into the Lokpal Bill has recommended keeping the judiciary and the MPs' conduct in the House out of its purview and rejected the demand for hiving off the anti-corruption wing of the Central Bureau of Investigation to come under its jurisdiction.
A complaint was filed in a court in Indore on Thursday against social activist Anna Hazare and his team for allegedly "cheating the people in the name of launching an agitation" for a strong Lokpal bill.
Consensus on the inclusion of the prime minister under the ambit of Lokpal eluded a Parliamentary panel scrutinising the bill even as it prepares to circulate a draft report of the recommendations to the members in the next few days.
Anna Hazare returned to blogging on Tuesday, a fortnight after he fell out with his former blogger, whom he accused of airing his views without his authorisation.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances