Accusing the government of cheating people on the Lokpal issue, Team Anna member Kiran Bedi on Sunday claimed that it was not willing to part with control over the Central Bureau of Investigation, as it did not want the "hidden files in the agency's almirahs" to become public.
Activist Anna Hazare will soon write to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, seeking his views on having an annual performance audit of the Members of Parliament.
Last week Sheela Bhatt spoke to Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal about the government's Lokpal bill in the first part of an interview. On Friday, as the parliamentary standing committee submitted its report to Parliament, we bring you the second part of the interview with Kejriwal.
Sheela Bhatt profiles Arvind Kejriwal, a crucial member of Team Anna, who has emerged as one of the key players in the movement for a strong anti-corruption law.
Sheela Bhatt profiles Arvind Kejriwal, a crucial member of Team Anna, who has emerged as one of the key players in the movement for a strong anti-corruption law.
Team Anna must show some humility instead of imposing its will on society. It doesn't hold a monopoly on understanding how to make governance more inclusive, clean and people-responsive. It must recognise that finally, it is Parliament that prevailed on the Lokpal legislative process, and that's how things should be, says Praful Bidwai.
Asking the government to give up its "vindictive" attitude, the Gandhian said it "must try to create trust and bridge the gap in the hearts after the nation-wide agitation for Jan Lokpal Bill instead of sending out a wrong messege."
Lawyer Prashant Bhushan on Saturday said he has received a breach of privilege notice for his remarks against Parliamentarians, the second Team Anna member to get such a notice. Bhushan said he has been accused of using derogatory words against Members of Parliament and has been asked to file a reply. Terming the notice as "totally unjustified", he told PTI that "speaking the truth in public interest does not amount to a breach of privilege".
Taking on a section of political class that questioned the need for civil society to contribute in law making, Team Anna member N Santosh Hegde on Friday sought annual auditing of Parliamentarians to assess their performance.
In a bid to build pressure on the Parliamentary Standing Committee, Anna Hazare has decided to hold a protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi if the panel does not come up with strong recommendations on Lokpal Bill.
In an interview with rediff.com's Sahim Salim social activist Medha Patkar said that Team Anna expected a deadlock between the Congress and BJP when the BJP took a stance on the matter.
Bharatiya Janata Party President Nitin Gadkari on Thursday announced that Team Anna's Jan Lokpal Bill could form the basis of discussions on Lokpal bill in the parliament.
Law Minister Salman Khurshid also made it clear that there was no question about anyone from the government ever saying that they don't care what happens to Hazare's health. "The main concern for me and the prime minister is Anna's health. We are very concerned about it," he told reporters outside Parliament.
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.
Anna Hazare is awaiting a written assurance from the government on the Lokpal Bill issue before ending his indefinite fast which entered its ninth day on Wednesday.
Team Anna member and former Karnataka Lokayukta Justice (retd) N Santosh Hegde on Tuesday appealed to Anna Hazare to end his eight-day fast, saying everyone is "honestly" concerned about his health.
With Team Anna stepping up the heat on the corruption issue, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday said the government was open to reasoned debate on the Lokpal Bill but made it clear that there was no single solution to tackle the problem.
The team that is forming the strategy to take on Anna Hazare is so confused and incoherent that in spite of Team Anna's few missteps, the UPA government is unable to counter them. Says a senior minister and a leader with political sense, "We are worried about losing the battle for minds." Sheela Bhatt reports.
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.
Did Team Anna steal the limelight from 94-year-old Shambhu Dutt with their fight against corruption?
Justice Santosh Hegde has become a very popular face at the protests against corruption at Freedom Park in Bengaluru.
Justice Santosh Hegde has become a very popular face at the protests against corruption at Freedom Park in Bengaluru.
Kargil 1999. Mumbai terror attacks 2008. And now, social activist Anna Hazare's campaign against corruption and enactment of a strong Jan Lokpal law. Very few moments in recent Indian history have been as electric as these three in bringing Indians of all hues together. Prasanna D Zore reports from New Delhi.
Home Minister P Chidambaram on Tuesday made it clear that Anna Hazare and his team could have moved the court if they had problems with the conditions imposed on the activist's proposed fast by the Delhi police. But given the glaring loopholes in the hasty action taken against Hazare, the government seems to be on a very weak footing.
Amid reported rift among Team Anna members, activist Kiran Bedi on Tuesday sought to downplay her differences with colleague Arvind Kejriwal over the issue of overcharging her hosts, saying it was a "thing of past".
A couple of days after a war of words between Team Anna and ruling Janata Dal-United in Bihar over Lokayukta, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday said he did not want to waste his energy on unnecessary debate.
With Team Anna members coming under attack, Anna Hazare on Sunday said the core committee will be expanded but a "sharp eye" will be kept on new members so that people with only clean background are part of the movement.
The government is still looking at all the pros and cons of the issue and is not yet definite that permission is being given to the social activist to go ahead with the fast
The income tax department has repatriated Sunita Kejriwal, senior Indian Revenue Service officer and wife of Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal who was recently in the midst of a row with the government over pending service dues.
Key Team Anna member N Santosh Hegde has said that it's foolish to expect blackmoney stashed away in Swiss banks by Indians as they would have "cleaned out" by now and transferred it to other tax havens.
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".
Anna Hazare is likely to end his vow of silence on Friday and head to Delhi where he may attend the meeting of the Standing Committee on the issue of Lokpal Bill.
Responding to Singh's Twitter post -- which stated that Ramdev was BJP's plan A, Team Anna was plan B, and when both of which had 'crashed', Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar was plan C -- BJP national spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said, "Digvijay Singh is no doubt the plan D of the Congress party, and D can be read here as duffer or dirty tricks."
Delhi Police on Friday denied permission to veteran social activist Anna Hazare to hold an indefinite hunger strike at the Jantar Mantar in Delhi on August 16.
43-year-old Kejriwal said his move should not be seen as admitting to the government's argument that he violated bond conditions and that he reserves his right to approach court against it.
Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal did not comply with the income tax department notice asking him to pay over Rs 9 lakh in dues, saying he needed more time to decide on the issue as he was given "very little time".
Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal has been slapped with a fresh notice by the Income Tax Department, asking the former IRS officer to pay over Rs nine lakh in dues by this month-end.
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.
It is a victory for Kuldeep Bishnoi in Hisar. But indirectly, the Bharatiya Janata Party has made roots into the fort of Bhajan Lal sympathisers.
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.
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