Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday met eminent social activist Anna Hazare and other activists who are spearheading the initiative 'India Against Corruption'.The activists told the PM that the country expected meaningful reforms to tackle corruption in public life. "I appreciate and share your concerns on corruption," the PM assured the group, which also comprised Kiran Bedi and Swami Agnivesh.Dr Singh requested Hazare not to carry out his threat of going on a fast.
A Delhi court has asked the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Delhi police to file a detailed report on the action taken by them so far on the complaints about alleged corruption in the Commonmwealth Games-related cases.
Team Anna member Swami Agnivesh is deeply hurt by the campaign launched against him by fellow members Arvind Kejriwal and Kiran Bedi, who have publicly run him down.
Swami Agnivesh, one of the 22 members of the core committee set up by activist Anna Hazare, claimed on Monday that there has been no response from the Centre so far to end the activist's indefinite fast against corruption. "In the last seven days, we have never had anyone mediating between us and the government about the Jan Lokpal Bill," he said. He rejected media reports about the government roping in any mediators.
Social Activist Anna Hazare and his team have signed an agreement with the government to abide by certain conditions on the basis of which they will go ahead with the fast at Ramlila Grounds starting from Friday. Renu Mittal reports.
Contrary to Anna Hazare team's description of government's Lokpal Bill draft as a "very big hoax", Swami Agnivesh, an associate of the Gandhian's anti-graft campaign, on Friday termed the latest draft as an "improvement" of its 2010 draft.
Sangh Parivar leader Sadhvi Ritambhara on Friday said controversies and talk about individuals should be brushed aside, instead the focus should be on the issue of tackling corruption and black money.
Social activist Anna Hazare will kick off his nation-wide campaign against corruption from Uttar Pradesh next week. The renowned Gandhian, whose satyagrah compelled the Union government to concede his demand for a Jan Lokpal bill, will renew his movement in a big way from Varanasi, where he is scheduled to arrive along with his comrade-in-arms former top cop Kiran Bedi, right to information activist Arvind Kejriwal, and activist Swami Agnivesh on April 29.
Social activist Swami Agnivesh has said that Anna Hazare may withdraw his statement praising Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, once information collected from the state is submitted to him.
Rediff.com's Onkar Singh caught up with Swami Agnivesh as he recounted talks with the government on the drafting of the much-talked about anti-corruption bill.
The central government on Thursday opened a channel of communication with anti-corruption protestors led by Anna Hazare with Union Minister Kapil Sibal meeting activists Swami Agnivesh and Arvind Kejriwal to find a way out the demand for a joint committee on drafting Lokpal Bill.
Hitting out at former colleague Kiran Bedi, activist Swami Agnivesh on Thursday demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into allegations that she misused benefits of her gallantry award to earn money for her non-government organisation and asked her to stop giving lectures on corruption till her name is cleared.
Social activist Swamy Agnivesh on Friday expressed regret about being seen as a "villain" for voicing differences on the manner in which anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare's fast was carried out in its concluding phase. "I was looked upon like a villain. This is not the first time I voiced my differences about the way the movement was carried on," said Agnivesh. But he said he would continue supporting Hazare's movement without compromising on his views.
Activist Swami Agnivesh, a prominent associate of Anna Hazare, today accused certain members of Team Anna of "conspiring" against him and said because of this he decided to go his way.
The award, which carries a citation and cash amount of Rs 10 lakh, is given for promoting communal harmony and peace.
Swami Agnivesh, a close associate of Anna Hazare, was the target of the core Anna team which attacked him over a controversial video posted on Youtube where he is purportedly telling a person alleged to be a Union minister that government act tough with the fasting Gandhian.
Rediff.com's Toral Varia, who has been covering Anna Hazare's fast at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan, spoke to prominent civil society member Swami Agnivesh on the way ahead for the team Anna.
Activist Swami Agnivesh on Friday launched an attack on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, accusing them of being silent about crucial issues and not listening to the voices of the people. Addressing protestors as Anna Hazare launched his fast at Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi, he said, "Mr Manmohan Singh, the country wants you to end your silence and open your mouth. You have been silent for the past three years".
The RSS leader says that killing a cow was not approved by any religion.
The West Bengal government's move to provide a fax and a phone number to get information on the whereabouts of a kidnapped intelligence officer and his friend by Maoists will not help bring the ultras to the negotiating table, say social and human rights activists.
Social activist Swami Agnivesh told rediff.com on Sunday that he will join the ongoing dharna of Dalbir Kaur, sister of Sarabjit Singh -- who has been languishing in a Pakistani jail for over 20 years -- at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on Monday.
Swami Agnivesh, who had a bitter fallout with anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare, has said he wants to apologise to the Gandhian if he has made any mistake.
Ninety-four-year-old Gandhian Shambhu Dutt, who ended his fast-unto-death demanding Lokpal bill after Team Anna's promise to shoulder the campaign, says he now regrets his decision to hand over his fight to Anna Hazare and his core committee of "yes men".
Swami Agnivesh has held Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar responsible for the murder of a constable by Maoists on Thursday.
An FAQ on the controversial anti-corruption bill
"The Maoists have communicated to me through a channel that they are ready to consider the government's offer of talks provided the Centre or the Andhra Pradesh government orders a judicial enquiry into the encounter," Agnivesh told PTI over phone.
Team Anna member Kiran Bedi on Monday advised Swami Agnivesh to file an FIR if he felt that the controversial video in which he purportedly asked someone to act tough with social activist Anna Hazare was fake but the religious leader said his spiritual values did not allow him to do so.
As Anna Hazare's fast entered Day 11 on Friday, the split in his team widened. It's now Swami Agnivesh and Justice Hegde versus the rest! The duo feel that Hazare should have called off the fast on Thursday and that protesting out the prime minister's residence was uncalled for.
Despite being offered release, Anna Hazare spent the night in Tihar Jail refusing to come out insisting on an unconditional release and permission to launch his fast at Jai Prakash Narain Park.
Religious leader Swami Agnivesh on Monday appealed to Maoists not to harm four policemen whom they have taken hostage in Chhattisgarh and treat them as prisoners of war
'Children should be told that if they receive porn on their phones they should inform their parents or teachers who should in turn contact cyber crime.'
Investigative journalism will be the mainstay of the newspaper, Tehelka CEO Tarun Tejpal said.
"We at the Arya Samaj appeal to all not to use the terms `saffronisation' or `desaffronisation' when referring to the\n\nchanges in the NCERT textbooks, as the colour is symbolic of sanyas," Agnivesh told reporters
Mediators said the purpose of the move was to avoid any more confrontation between the communities.
"We are trying to simplify the draft statement which we will telephonically discuss with the Sikh leaders", he said.
Swami Agnivesh speaks about the Dera-Sikh standoff, which he is attempting to resolve.
The Sikh high priests have also demanded that Ram Rahim tender an unqualified apology for wearing clothes similar to that of the tenth Guru Gobind Singh.
'The irony of Indian political history is that those who championed the cause of the UCC destroyed the prospects of the UCC by pushing Muslims to their back,' says Reverend Valson Thampu.
Amid growing demand for his resignation over the molestation row, St Stephen's Principal Valson Thampu's on Tuesday said he was being chased like an "animal" in the case.
Observing that law and order was a state subject, the home minister said the Centre cannot remain silent on the issue.
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