After threatening to campaign against the Congress in five election-bound states if the United Progressive Alliance government failed to get the Jan Lokpal Bill passed in the winter session of Parliament, Anna Hazare has asked political parties not to use his name or photograph during elections. "This directive was given during a two-day meeting of workers at Ralegan Siddhi," Hazare's aide Suresh Pathare said.
A former Delhi chief secretary and currently Delhi's public grievance commission chairman has warned the prime minister not to strangle the 'doers' in the bureaucracy and paralyse the government while the 'non-doers' go scot free in the euphoria over ushering in a strong anti-corruption ombudsman.
The Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi was left teetering on Monday after Independent MLA Rambir Shokeen withdrew his support to Arvind Kejriwal, whose party's strength has now been reduced to 35 in the 70 member house.
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External Affairs Minister S M Krishna on Tuesday urged activist Anna Hazare and his associates to contest general elections. "They should contest the elections so that we all know who has the support of the people," he said. Hazare and members of his team have gone on an indefinite fast at Jantar Mantar in Delhi to seek the implementation of the Lokpal Bill.
As thousands gathered at Jantar Mantar to support Team Anna's fight for the Jan Lokpal Bill, Anna Hazre joined other fasting members, while Arvind Kejriwal released his book titled Swaraj. Priyanka reports.
A strong Lokpal Bill should include steps to protect the lives of those fighting corruption, says Team Anna. Priyanka reports
Anna Hazare and his team on Tuesday spoke in different voices on the indefinite fast from Wednesday with the activist asserting that it is for Lokpal Bill while his aides said it is limited to their three demands, including a special probe into allegations against Union ministers.
Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal has said corruption is one the major factors behind farmer suicides in Vidarbha region of Maharashtra, and the Jan Lokpal Bill will bring relief to the distressed peasants.
Is she, like the AIADMK's Jayalalithaa with the Vajpayee government in 1998, playing bully to a government that she knows cannot survive without her Parliamentary support? Or is there a greater scheme behind her erratic actions? Discussing the mercurial Mamata Banerjee on the Rediff Chat is Senior Editor Indrani Roy, a long-time watcher of Bengal and Mamata politics.
Anna Hazare on Sunday warned the government of breaking his vow of not undertaking fasts if it fails to pass a strong Lokpal Bill before 2014 elections and alleged that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had "cheated" him on the issue.
Yoga guru Baba Ramdev on Monday said he would take a call on contesting the 2014 Lok Sabha elections depending upon the success of his agitation scheduled next month in Delhi.
Anna Hazare on Wednesday said he is going to embark on a nation wide movement against corruption from November 30 and will soon form a core committee.
Government has so far not carried out a full assessment of the personnel that will be required to staff the proposed institution of Lokpal, a Parliamentary panel has been informed.
With the Congress pushed to a distant third in Hisar by-polls, Anna Hazare on Monday said the party should take cue from the result and ensure passage of Jan Lokpal Bill in winter session of Parliament or else he would personally campaign against it in upcoming Assembly elections.
Arvind Kejriwal, social activist and founder member of the India Against Corruption, tells Sreelatha Menon their biggest mistake was not to give room to other issues and voices when support for the movement against corruption was at its peak.
Slamming the demand for a Jan Lokpal Bill to battle corruption, Karnataka Governor H R Bhardwaj on Friday said corruption can be checked only through a strong democracy and not through an "extra-constitutional body" like Jan Lokpal.
The Rajya Sabha Select Committee, chaired by Congress leader Satyavrat Chaturvedi, will have its first meeting in New Delhi on Monday to narrow down differences among political parties on the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Bill.
Anna Hazare's team on Tuesday described Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's sadhavana fast as one held for his "personal political gain". The anti-corruption activist's aides also said the country does not need more yatras and fasts but effective steps to fight corruption, including the Jan Lokpal bill, for which they were fighting. Prominent lawyer Prashant Bhushan said, "It was done for personal political gain."
'It is so mired in internal conflicts that no one knows who is making decisions. Pranab Mukherjee? The prime minister? Or someone else?' Arvind Kejriwal breaks his silence on Team Hazare's negotiations with the government in an exclusive interview with Sheela Bhatt.
'It is so mired in internal conflicts that no one knows who is making decisions. Pranab Mukherjee? The prime minister? Or someone else?' Arvind Kejriwal breaks his silence on Team Hazare's negotiations with the government in an exclusive interview with Sheela Bhatt.
The Centre was on Wednesday directed by the Delhi high court to consider in three months a plea seeking an inquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation against members of Team Anna for allegedly receiving funds from foreign organisations to run their agitation for the Lokpal Bill. A bench of Acting Chief Justice A K Sikri and Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw asked Additional Solicitor General A S Chandhiok to treat the PIL as a representation and dispose it of.
Launching its campaign in five poll-bound states, Team Anna on Saturday sought to be even-handed by targeting the Centre, Bharatiya Janata Party, Bahujan Samaj Party for bringing a "toothless" Lokpal Bill which is like a "dead body strewn with flowers".
According to C V Madhukar, a senior member of PRS Legislative Research, an independent Delhi-based think-tank, 'the debate on the Lokpal Bill reflected how Parliament functions about 80 percent of the time.' Rajni Bakshi on how we can engage better with Parliament.
As part of the countrywide demonstration, supporters of Anna Hazare on Thursday held peaceful demonstration in front of the rented house of Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh in Guwahati shouting slogans demanding introduction and adoption of the Jan Lokpal Bill to fight corruption.
Dismissing suggestions that Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi's idea of giving constitutional status to Lokpal Bill was a delaying tactic by the Congress, the ruling party made it clear that it was for the collective wisdom of the Standing Committee and Parliament to accept the proposal.
Anna Hazare will break his fast at 10 am on Sunday, according to his close associate Kiran Bedi.
The seven-hour-long debate on the Lokpal bill witnessed some interesting arguments and counter-arguments on Saturday in the Lok Sabha. Earlier, while initiating the debate, Mukherjee said that the nation was at a "cross-roads" in view of Hazare's campaign. He asked the Parliament to consider the Gandhian's three key demands within the Constitutional framework and by preserving Parliament's supremacy. Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj had a go at Rahul Gandhi.
As Anna Hazare's fast entered the 12th day, Pranab Mukherjee said the situation was "moving out of hand" and "a crisis" had been created even as he asked lawmakers to "seize the moment and demonstrate the commitment" in dealing with corruption which is "gnawing at the vitals of our polity".
Aruna Roy, prominent member of civil society, chairman of the National Campaign for People's Right to Information, and an alternative voice in the ongoing debate on the Lokpal Bill, speaks to Rediff.com
Expressing dismay over the government's stand over the Lokpal Bill, former Indian Police Service officer and Team Anna member Kiran Bedi said, "Who do we talk to? Usually talks happen with those who can decide something. Who do we talk to in this country? This is the big question."
The second part of lawyer and brain behind the Anna Hazare campaign, Prashant Bhushan's interview to rediff.com's Sheela Bhatt.
The Lokpal Bill has been referred to the Standing Committee of Parliament on personnel, public grievances, law and justice. In this FAQ, we explain the process of these committees.
Thousands of Delhiites today rallied behind Anna Hazare's campaign against corruption by thronging India Gate, from where they marched to Ramlila Maidan, where the Gandhian is on a fast demanding a strong Lokpal.
Law Minister Salman Khurshid has favoured reaching out to the Opposition and the ruling coalition's allies on Lokpal and other issues and dismissed suggestions that Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee was a 'difficult customer'.
People from all walks of life took to the streets in Bihar to express their support for activist Anna Hazare and his demand for the Jan Lokpal Bill.
Rediff.com's Prasanna Zore in a freewheeling chat with Prashant Bhushan, member of the Lokpal bill joint drafting committee.
Chidambaram defended the deferment of Lokpal and Lokayukta Bill, 2011 in Rajya Sabha on December 29 contending that it was the "only prudent course" before the government and that it had ensured that the Bill remained alive.
Communist Party of India - Marxist leader Sitaram Yechury on Friday blamed the Congress-ed government and its allies for the chaos in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday night, which led to the adjournment of the House sine die without the passage of the Lokpal Bill. He lashed out at the Congress and its ally Trinamool congress for "engineering" a situation which made it impossible to transact any business.
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