Lokpal Bill: Anna Hazare's Mumbai fast may cost team Rs 50 lakh

Anna Hazare has realised that holding an agitation now comes with a price tag. A 15-day proposed agitation at the Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) would set Team Anna back by a cool Rs 50 lakh, something the crusaders against corruption had not bargained for.

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has issued a primary permission to Anna Hazare and his men to hold an agitation at the MMRDA grounds at the Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC), but the rental, parking and security charges may force Team Anna to look for another venue since the costs are turning out to be rather prohibitive.

Team Anna has booked the MMRDA grounds from December 26 to January 10, but has not finalised the dates yet. And apart from paying a rental of Rs 2 lakh per day to MMRDA, Team Anna will also have to pay additional charges for electricity, security and traffic management, including parking charges. MMRDA deputy commissioner Anil Wankhede confirmed that Team Anna has asked for permission to use the MMRDA grounds at BKC for their agitation which has been issued to them, subject to clearances from the police and fire brigade.

Team Anna has been given a 30,000 sq metre plot in the G Text block of the BKC for 15 days instead of the original demand for one month. Wankhede said that a plot of 30,000 sq metre is available at BKC. "Since the plot is available for 15 days, we have told the organisation, India against Corruption (IAC), about the same. The rate applicable will be different in 2011 and 2012. In the first five days of 2011, we will charge IAC Rs 6.40 per sq metre per day, and in the first 10 days of 2012, we will be charging them Rs 8.40 per sq metre per day."

Team Anna will also have to pay electricity charges which include a security deposit of Rs 5 lakh. Hiring of fire brigade services is compulsory. So, fire charges will be collected at Rs 50,000 per day which will add up to around Rs 7.5 lakh for 15 days. In addition, parking charges and traffic management charges for 15 days will be close to Rs 7.5 lakh. So, the total charges for a 15-day agitation will work out to be a little over Rs 50 lakh. However, Team Anna members aren't amused and feel the charges are absurd.

Said Praful Vora, a member, "IAC volunteers are shocked at the expensive charges of hiring the MMRDA grounds: it is roughly Rs 2,00,000 a day. How can a poor man like Annaji, who is leading a civil protest , expect to pay such a sum to the Maharashtra government? MMRDA should not apply a commercial policy to IAC since we are working for a public cause, a not-for-profit movement, and we can't afford such sums like commercial entities can. IAC will write to the chief minister asking for a solution as a civil movement can't afford such hefty costs." For the moment, though, the cost of an agitation stands at Rs 50 lakh.

Anna vs govt: We won't accept anybody's demand, will do what is good for country, says Salman Khurshid

NEW DELHI: As the government braced to deal with the agitation threatened by Anna Hazare, law minister Salman Khurshid tonight said the government will do whatever is good for the country.

"We are not accepting anybody's demand. We are doing what is good for the country," he told PTI when asked whether the government accepts Hazare's demands.

Queried whether the government was confident of averting the next agitation by Hazare, he said, "Agitation, I cannot speak of. But we will do our job. We will do something good for the country. I am confident we will do what we need to do."

Earlier in the day, he said Parliamentary democracy is based on discussion and there should be discussion on every issue.

Asked whether opposition did the right thing in discussing Lokpal issue outside Parliament, Khurshid said, "This should also be discussed in Parliament."

Opposition parties had shared dais with Hazare on Sunday at his fast venue and participated in a debate on Lokpal.

Hazare to address rally in city

The Karnataka chapter of India Against Corruption (IAC) is organising a public rally on December 17 at Freedom Park to “save” the institution of Lokayukta.

Social activist Anna Hazare, the former Lokayukta N. Santosh Hegde and freedom fighter H.S. Doreswamy will address the rally.

‘Systematic attempt'

IAC coordinator Prithivi Reddy told presspersons on Saturday that the Lokayukta had become a real threat to those indulging in corruption in the State. There was a systematic attempt to weaken the institution and some political leaders were also questioning the need for such an institution. Senior Lokayukta officers were being threatened by political leaders, he said, and added that the rally was aimed at protecting the institution.

R. Balasubramaniam of Swami Vivekananda Youth Movement, Mysore, S.R. Hiremath of Samaj Parivartana Samudaya, K.S. Puttanniah of Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha and Raghavendra Kushtagi of Jana Sangrama Parishat would participate in the rally.

IAC is planning similar rallies in Mysore, Gulbarga, Dharwad, Tumkur, Chickballapur.

The Latest

Sit-in by Anna supporters today

To express solidarity with Anna Hazare on his token fast in Delhi, India Against Corruption (IAC) activists in Pune is organising a token sit-in on Sunday at Kamla Arcade near Balgandharva Chowk from 10.00 am to 6.00 pm. “At least 50 of us would fast as a gesture of solidarity with Annaji. At 6.00 pm, a rally would be taken out from Balgandharva Chowk to Shanivarwada where the rally would end in a candlelight march,” said Deepak Bhardiya, Pune co-ordinator, IAC.

Man dies as bus hits cab

A 36-year-old man died after a Karnataka State Transport Corporation bus hit the cab carrying him from his office in Yerawada to his Sinhagad Road house in the early hours of Saturday. The deceased Vikas Anant Kulkarni, was an insurance firm employee. Cab driver Ravi Ramu Rathod (21) who was injured in the accident at Sevasadan chowk lodged a complaint with Vishrambaug police after which the bus driver, Hal Gangadhar Halmatha, a resident of Karnataka was arrested. Police sub-inspector A S Hatkar is investigating the case.

Session: Sena to get aggressive

The Shiv Sena is planning to make the government sweat in the Winter Session of the state Assembly, set to commence on Tuesday. The party is ready with an array of issues, mostly specific to Pune, to take up in the assembly, ranging from the Maval firing to proliferation of chain-snatchers in Pune city.

Anna leads city protest on Dec 17

BANGALORE: To support the appointment of a new Lokayukta , Gandhian Anna Hazare will come to Bangalore on Dec. 17. Arvind Kejrival and Kiran Bedi will also be present.

The one-day campaign organized by India Against Corruption will see Bangaloreans walk on the streets before gathering at Freedom Park. Former Lokayukta N Santosh Hegde will speak about the government's apathy in naming his successor.

Contact IAC activists: Anand: 9880244380; Daniel 8861166111; Srinivas 9945402662 and Deepak 9449559451.

Anna Hazare says govt has cheated entire country, Congress lashes out at him

NEW DELHI: Accusing Team Anna of "practising an extreme form of intolerance", Abhishek Singhvi, senior Congress leader and chairman of the Parliamentary panel on Lokpal, said attacking those who do not agree with their view is a negation of democracy.

"None of this is surprising. As usual and true to form Team Anna is practising an extreme form of intolerance, namely those who do not agree 100 per cent with their view must be condemned with personal attack and vilification," Singvi said.

He said this is a "negation of democracy" itself because Team Anna has decided that "no one in the nation, be it Parliamentary Committee, Parliament or the Cabinet, can ever disagree with them."

"This is most unfortunate and regrettable," said Singhvi who is also an eminent lawyer and spokesperson of Congress.

His remarks came close on the heels of Anna Hazare's attack on the Committee for its "weak report" on the eve of his day-long fast.

Govt has cheated entire country: Anna 

On the eve of day-long fast to protest against the Parliamentary Standing Committee report on Lokpal Bill, Anna Hazare today said government has "cheated" the entire country and that he will carry on his campaign till next Lok Sabha elections to create awareness against UPA.

The social activist said he suspected that Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi was behind Standing Committee rejecting even Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's promise to include the Citizen's charter, lower bureaucracy and establishment of Lok Ayuktas in the states.

"They have cheated the whole country. The Prime Minister had given in writing that these three issues would be brought under the Lokpal Bill...The Prime Minister's letter was thrown into the dustbin. Why this volte face? Is Singhvi's post higher than that of the Prime Minister," Hazare told reporters here.

"There is somebody behind... Who is bigger than the Prime Minister?... We suspect Rahul Gandhi could be behind this... Who else can dare to challenge the Prime Minister? That is why there are these problems," Hazare said, alleging that their intentions are "not good".

He was referring to Standing Committee headed by Abhishek Singhvi which has disfavoured inclusion of Group C and D employees and kept out Citizen's charter and Lokayukta.

Hazare, who will hold a day-log fast at jantar mantar tomorrow, said he will resume his anti-corruption agitation from December 27 and then carry on this for next two years till the Lok Sabha elections.

"We will continue to fight for the next two years. We will move around the whole country before the general elections to create public awareness," he said and asked "Why to retain those who have destroyed the country?"

Hazare team rejects Lok Pal report to begin stir

The report of the standing committee on the government’s Lok Pal Bill was tabled in Parliament on Friday and resoundingly rejected by the Anna Hazare group, which has threatened agitation this Sunday and then a congregation at Ramlila Maidan from December 27.

Supporters of the Hazare-led India Against Corruption (IAC) have told Business Standard the new round of agitation will be ‘even bigger and better’ than the previous one and plans were afoot to make it an all-India affair.

 This is after the report of the standing committee partially addressed many of the issues earlier flagged by the IAC. The report has several dissent notes, including three from Congress members themselves. The report also leaves it to Parliament to resolve whether and how the Prime Minister should come within the purview of the proposed ombudsman. It suggests a separate bill for a grievance redressal mechanism, which should have statutory status.
It recommends leaving the conduct of MPs inside Parliament out of the Lok Pal purview and wants statutory status for the Lok Pal, with state Lok Ayuktas being covered under a separate chapter in the same bill. The states, it says, would be free to draft their own Lok Ayukta law that would cover the chief minister.

On all this, the IAC is flexible. What it is inflexible about are two provisions – what treatment the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) should get from the Lok Pal and how the lower bureaucracy – specifically group C and D employees that include patwaris, panchayat officials and peons – should be treated. The standing committee says group C and D employees will, according to government plans, be merged – and all will be counted as group C. They should come within the jurisdiction of the Central Vigilance Commission, which has a huge administrative machinery but will have little to do once the Lok Pal is established. CVC should report to the Lok Pal on corruption in this category of government employees.

Thus, the committee is loath to dismantle existing institutions to check corruption. But it does create new ones.

On the CBI, the committee wants it to be autonomous of the government. So, the practice of taking sanctions from the government against corrupt officials will be done away with. The CBI will report to the Lok Pal but not be subordinate to it and investigation and prosecution will be hived off into separate wings. Prosecution will be done under a Lok Pal judge.

IAC members were scathing on these recommendations. Lawyer Prashant Bhushan called it a “hotch potch” Bill, which was likely to increase rather than reduce corruption. Arvind Kejriwal called it “a more or less Congress report”, with seven of the 12 members supporting the Bill from that party. “We had plans to go on an agitation and fast from December 27 if the Parliament failed to pass a strong Lok Pal Bill in the current session. We are sticking to our plan,” the Hazare supporters said

Hazare added from his Ralegan Siddhi village in Maharashtra that the committee had fooled the people by keeping the government Bill largely intact.

The report was supported fully by just 12 out of 30 members, of which seven were from the Congress. While 16 dissented, two never attended. So much for its credibility, said Kejriwal.

The team would now observe a day’s fast at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on Sunday. “We are trying to evolve a consensus among different parties and have also called for their participation in the dharna,” team members said.

Hazare’s public statement indicated he had nothing against the Prime Minister or Congress president Sonia Gandhi (who is indisposed) and that it was Rahul Gandhi’s utterances that showed the government was not serious about bringing back probity to public life.

He also said the effect of his campaign would be visible in Uttar Pradesh in the run-up to the assembly elections there early next year.

35,000 migrant children to be covered in pulse polio campaign

CHENNAI: About 35,000 migrant children, including Sri Lankan refugees, will be covered during a special pulse polio campaign on Dec 11 conducted by the Tamil Nadu government who are more susceptible to the disease, an offcial release said.

"The inflow of migrant families to Tamil Nadu is on the rise every year. Mostly, these migrant children are more susceptible to have polio infection because of their constant movement from one place to another, without proper immunisation coverage," the release said.

Enumeration and mapping of all migrant children had been done. Children at construction sites, brick kilns and quarries, wards of migrant agriculture labours and fishermen, pavement dwellers and Sri Lankan refugees will be covered during the exercise, according to the release.

The state had been free of polio since 2004, it said. PTI SA ARP Hazare to visit Chennai on December 18

Chennai, Dec 9 (PTI) Social activist Anna Hazare and his team would visit the city next week as part of stepping up their demand for a stronger Lokpal.

"Anna and his team will be here on December 18 and participate in a public meeting," India Against Corruption, Chennai-Chapter, Volunteer Venkatnarayanan told reporters here today.

The venue of the public meeting would be announced later, he said.

He said IAC volunteers across Tamil Nadu would observe a token fast on December 11 expressing solidarity with Hazare who is set to stage a similar protest protesting the Standing Committee proposals, which excludes his key demands like bringing lower bureaucracy under the ambit of the ombudsman besides provisions for Citizen's Charter.

"The token fast will be conducted on December 11 across Tamil Nadu coinciding Anna's fast in Jantar Mantar in New Delhi," he said.

Team Anna's awareness campaign with assembly in sight

NAGPUR: With the state legislature's winter session starting next week, Team Anna in Nagpur has decided to hold a series of events to highlight their cause. Starting Friday, the four-day long programme will focus on creating awareness about the Jan Lokpal Bill.

India Against Corruption's (IAC) Nagpur chapter has also decided to lend its support to the call given by various organizations for a separate Vidarbha state. City coordinator for IAC Ajay Sanghi said, "This decision was taken by Nagpur chapter after consultation with various stakeholders in Vidarbha. This is not something Anna Hazare has said or decided."

Central core committee members Mayank Gandhi and Shamoon Qasmi too will be in the city to deliver lectures on Jan Lokpal Bill at Tajbagh and Mominpura.

On Friday evening a car and bike rally will start from Congress Nagar and culminate at Tajbagh. There, Gandhi and Qasmi will speak on 'Jan Lokpal Andolan - A golden opportunity in national integration'.

Shakeel Patel, secretary of Khwaja Garib Nawab Foundation, which is organizing the Tajbagh function, said, "We wanted the core committee members to come and dispel doubts in our community. There were rumours that Anna Hazare is connected to the RSS. It was a ploy of the government to alienate minorities from this national movement. Hence, we invited Team Anna to come and address a gathering and put their stand before us."

A similar lecture will be held on Saturday at Mominpura. It is being organized by Urdu Editors Conference. From Sunday onwards, IAC Nagpur will hit the road again by organizing a sit-down protest at National Civil Defence College, near Hislop College, to support Anna's single day fast.

At 6pm, a candle march will start from the venue to Shankar Nagar and back.

IAC had planned a candle march on two more days, but the police have refused them permission to hold more marches. "The authorities have asked us to restrict our candle marches till December 12. We had planned to support various other issues, including a separate Vidarbha, during those days. Now, we will just join other organizations in their candle march on other days," Sanghi said.

BOX

ANNA BRIGADE

Dec 9 (4pm) - Car & bike rally from Sanghi Sadan, Congress Nagar

Dec 9 (8pm) - Lecture by Mayank Gandhi, Shamoon Qasmi and Ajay Sanghi at Tajbagh

Dec 10 (8pm) - Lecture by Mayank Gandhi, Shamoon Qasmi and Ajay Sanghi at Mominpura

Dec 11 (10am) - Protest at National Civil Defence College, near Hislop College

Dec 11 (6pm) - Candle march from National Civil Defence College to Shankar Nagar

Dec 12 (6pm) - Candle march from National Civil Defence College

Flash mob, human chain, fast for Anna

PUNE: Flash mobs, one-day fasts and formation of human chains are planned by the Pune unit of the India Against Corruption (IAC) in the city on December 11 to express support to social crusader Anna Hazare's day-long fast at the Jantar Mantar in Delhi to press for a strong Lokpal.

Flash mobs will be held at Pune railway station and Swargate chowk, the one-day fast will be staged at Balgandharva chowk and a human chain will be made on M G Road, in support of Hazare.

Gitesh Devhane, coordinator of IAC Pune said, "Information regarding the programmes has been made available through Facebook and Twitter and mails have been sent to registered citizens to mobilise support for the agitation."

"A flash mob has been organized on the line of flash mobs in Mumbai, Delhi, and the recent one arranged in the city, to support Anna Hazare and to create awareness among the youth about the need for a strong Lokpal bill and the need to curb corruption in society. A video of the flash mob will be done and it will be posted on YouTube. Participants in the flash mob will be asked to make specific gestures to express the demand for a strong Lokpal," he said.

Bhavesh Bhati, another coordinator said, "Flash mob is catching youth attention. It is a better way to raise awareness about the issue and get the support of the youth for a strong Lokpal. City youth enthusiastically supported the previous agitation held in the month of April and August. So we expect more support and participation this time as well."

People are registering for the flash mobs and the IAC has got 450 responses from citizens and the number is only set to increase. "A flash mob will be organised at Pune railway station at 1 pm and another near Swargate bus stand at 3 pm. We have organised a human chain on M G Road at 7 pm the same day," he said.

Fast in support of Anna

SURAT: The Surat Branch of India Against Corruption movement will stage a dharna and fast on December 11 at the statue of Gandhi in Chowk Bazaar in support of Anna Hazare's one-day symbolic fast. They will present a memorandum to the municipal commissioner and collector on December 12 and begin the agitation for compulsory and free education for children.

Censoring social media antisocial

NAGPUR: Social media, the 'virtual' land of the free and home of the brave, is under attack. However, Nagpurians have come out in support of online freedom, trashing communications and IT minister Kapil Sibal's intentions and suggestions.

Sibal had said recently that the modern, powerful online platform, which has played a major role recently across the world in ending tyrant dictatorships, and closer home in forcing the mighty to take notice of various demands, should be monitored to avoid objectionable content. The ambiguity of what would constitute 'objectionable content' is worrying most of the stakeholders.

Citizens in Nagpur came down heavily on Sibal's statements. Considering the role social media played in Anna Hazare's anti-corruption movement, many feel the government wants to stop citizens from banding together.

Ajay Sanghi, city coordinator for India Against Corruption ( IAC), says the government is moving towards a repeat of the emergency situation. "They are going after Team Anna and the gloves are off. First, they put restriction on the number of SMS people can send, and now the social media is coming under the radar. The government is targeting our main communication tools, hoping that we will succumb. This is emergency part II," said Sanghi.

MLA Devendra Fadnavis prides himself on being active in the virtual world and said he was appalled by Sibal's statements. "I always thought there was a difference between China and India, but after listening to Sibal I feel we are now moving towards a Made-in-China democracy. If the government is supervising my moves online then they are curbing my freedom of speech guaranteed by the constitution," said Fadnavis.

Youth Against Corruption (YAC), an organization promoted by Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) recently held a three-day protest against corruption in Nagpur. Swapnil Kathale of YAC said, "Social media is the tool we all use to get our message to the public as fast as possible and it helps in making any protest or rally a success. Sibal's remarks smell of a conspiracy to clamp down on any public uprising against their corrupt system."

Adman Sanjay Arora said, "Less than one per cent of India's population uses Facebook and Twitter, and the government wants to clamp down on that as well! Censorship has never worked anywhere in the world and it will boomerang here too. There was a lot of rage today in Twitter as users bashed Sibal on the issue."

Fadnavis feels that social media has in fact brought in a lot of positive changes. "The virtual world is shattering walls of caste, creed and colour as people are interacting more and more," said Fadnavis.

Sanghi said, tongue firmly in cheek, "The things that need monitoring are the mouths of Sibal, Digvijay Singh and Manish Tewari."

No date yet for Team Anna’s Muslim rally

The Muslim rally, which India Against Corruption had planned in the first week of December in Lucknow to allay the minority apprehensions that the anti-corruption movement was being pushed by communal forces, is unlikely to be held.

The rally was announced on November 14 when Anna Hazare core team member Arvind Kejriwal had a meeting with some Muslim leaders and clerics in the city.

IAC core committee member Mufti Shamoon Qasmi, who had announced the rally would be held in December first week, now said no date is fixed, but the rally will be planned soon.

He said the rally might be postponed because of Hazare’s one-day fast at Jantar Mantar on December 11 and indefinite fast at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi from December 27.

However, sources in IAC said the rally was never seriously considered after its announcement as prominent Muslim clerics and leaders had not turned up at the meeting called by Kejriwal.

Among those who had stayed away were Maulana Kalbe Jawad, Zafaryab Jilani, Maulana Fazlur Rahman Waizi. However, Kejriwal had gone to meet Maulana Kalbe at his residence.

Parties wary of ‘declaration against corruption’

Even though the appeal by members of India Against Corruption to sign the vachan patra failed to yield response among political players in the city, the parties are still trying to encash upon the ‘Anna effect’. Some of the parties are bringing to fore ‘crusade against corruption’.

Members of the newly constituted Chandigarh Jan Manch (CJM) insist that the front was constituted after Anna Hazare’s fast. The president of the party, Prof Krishan Chand Ahuja said that their front was started to ensure that the movement of Anna does not fizzle out.

“We did not want that after Anna Hazare’s fast, the movement lags for want of leaders. While Congress was indulging in corruption in the city, the BJP was a mute spectator. The BJP did not raise its voice against corruption. Whether it was the booth allotment scam or the anomalies in the Mayoral elections, no action was taken,” said Ahuja.

CJM will be asking all its members to sign the pledge letters prepared by NGO Awaaz to make Chandigarh a corruption free city. The NGO has sent letters to all political parties urging the members to sign the pledge letter.

The members of the NGO claim that even BJP president Sanjay Tandon has assured that all his candidates will be signing the pledge letter. The candidates will be going to Nehru Park on Saturday for the purpose.

However, the vachan patra that was released by IAC members in the city, has failed to yield much response from the candidates. In fact just one candidate, Sudhir Kumar Dhawan, submitted the document with the nomination papers. If the signee fails to adhere to the clauses, the patra will be considered his/her resignation.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court, on Friday, directed Returning Officer, Election Commissioner, Chandigarh to decide a petition, alleging that a BJP candidate contesting Municipal Corporation elections has forged his caste certificate, within a week. The directions were passed on a petition demanding that BJP candidate Raj Kishore, contesting MC elections from ward 19, should not be allowed to contest MC elections. The petitioner alleged that Kishore has two different caste certificates while taking admission in Bachelors of Law (LLB) course from Punjab.

Book lovers miss Anna at fair

PATNA: Anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare, who successfully mobilized Indian youths against widespread corruption quite recently, is being missed badly at the National Book Fair at Gandhi Maidan.

"I am very much influenced by Anna. I had even participated in anti-corruption stir at Kargil Chowk here. It is extremely sad there is no book on Anna's life in this so-called national book fair," Ashok Chandra, a student of journalism at Patna University, told TOI.

TOI talked to over a dozen visitors at the book fair on Saturday. Almost all of them said they were searching for some material on Anna.

This is despite the fact that many books have been published on Anna Hazare. Most of them are of semibiographical nature. While some are in Marathi, Hindi and English versions have also come into the book market.

After Anna's anti-corruption crusade, Pentagon Press brought out 'Anna Hazare: The Face of India's Fight Against Corruption' which details Anna's life and his movements. Another book, which has been translated into English by B S Pendse, 'Ralegaon Siddhi: A Veritable Transformation' is also virtually a book on Anna. "My Village - My Sacred Land," published by CAPART publications is another such book.

However, none of them are available here. "Anna's biography is available online. But today, Anna has got such a stature that every household should have at least one hard copy of his biography," said Dhrub Kumar, a city-based writer.

For Shruti Sinha of Magadh Mahila College, Anna is a 'GK issue'. "These days every examination has question on Anna Hazare. If I have a book on him, it will be better," Shruti told TOI. Bihar coordinator for India Against Corruption, Ratnesh Chaudhary also pitched in for books on Anna.

When informed about it, director of Prabhat Prakashan, Piyush Kumar told TOI that a book on Anna's life is ready. "We are trying to launch the book in Patna book fair within two to three days," he said.

Over 30,000 book lovers on Friday visited the book fair. "Footfall starts right at 11am and reaches its peak as evening approaches. In the last two days, more than 50,000 book lovers have come here," said Rakesh Kumar, in-charge of the book fair.

In the wake of brisk buying, several publishers have increased the rebate on their books. Former President A P J Abdul Kalam still tops the sales chart. Kalam's motivational books, 'Jeevan Briksha', 'Wings of Fire', 'Ignited Mind' and others are witnessing brisk buying.

Probably taking the cue from CM Nitish Kumar who had written 'Vikshit Bihar Ki Khoj' in Hindi, which was a hit in 2010 Patna book fair, Bihar's industry and disaster management minister Renu Kumari Kushwaha has written a book, 'Gandhi Darshan Ke Panch Sutra'. The book is available at Prabhat Prakashan stall. It will be formally released by eminent journalist Kuldip Nayar on November 16.

On Saturday, a workshop on creative writing and drawing was held at the book fair. Over 200 students from five different schools participated in the event. A discussion on 'Career in Media' was also held in the evening.

BOX

Sunday's Events

Poster-making competition from 11am to 1pm

A workshop on satirical writing. Famous satire writers like Alok Puranik, Ravindra Rajhans, Gopal Chaturvedi and others will participate in it.

People vote for Anna's Lokpal bill

LUCKNOW: In a referendum conducted by Team Anna in eight parliamentary constituencies represented by political heavyweights in UP, an overwhelming 90% people have voted in favour of Anna Hazare's version of Lokpal Bill. The voters have also assured to vote out sitting MPs if they fail to support Anna's Bill in Parliament.

The referendum was conducted between October 2 and November 2 in parliamentary constituencies of Rae Bareli, Amethi, Varanasi and Ghaziabad, represented by Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi, BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi and former BJP national president Rajnath Singh respectively.

The referendum also covered Mainpuri, the constituency of SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, Hamirpur represented by BSP leader Vijay Bahadur Singh, Ambedkarnagar represented by BSP leader Rakesh Pandey and Lucknow represented by BJP leader Lalji Tandon.

Bahadur and Pandey are also members of the parliamentary standing committee drafting the Lokpal Bill, which is expected to be placed in the winter session of Parliament.

To the question if they would vote for their MP if he/she votes against Anna's version of Lokpal Bill in Parliament, 99.5% of 1.06 lakh people in Rae Bareli said they will not vote for Sonia Gandhi if she opposed Anna's Lokpal Bill. Similarly, in Amethi 98.30% of 1.06 lakh people, in Mainpuri 91.85% of 1.07 lakh, in Ghaziabad over 90% of 1.05 lakh, in Lucknow over 95% of 1.15 lakh, in Varansi around 99% of 1.11 lakh, in Hamirpur 93% of 98,250, in Ambedkarnagar 97% of 1,05 lakh and in Kaushambi 99% of 1.01 lakh people voted in favour of Anna.

Interestingly, in Amethi 2,983 persons said they will vote for Rahul even if he does not support Anna's version of Lokpal Bill.

A Team Anna member Sanjay Singh told TOI that the referendum got huge public response.

"Referendum forms were distributed in cities as well as villages. Volunteers of India Against Corruption conducted the survey through a mass contact programme carried out in markets, panchayats, railway and bus stations, etc. People from all sections of the society, caste, gender and faith took part in the exercise. The participation of youth was overwhelming," he claimed.

He also claimed that a large section of the population, which included Muslims, is angry with Congress leaders, particularly party general secretary Digvijay Singh, for launching an organized campaign to discredit Anna and his team.

"Muslims said that Digvijay is wrong in thinking that he will be able to appease Muslims and divert public attention from the issue of corruption through his statements. Most of the people were of the view that corruption has hit dalits, backwards and Muslims the most as they belong to financially weaker sections of the society. They believe that benefit of welfare schemes never reaches the people at the bottom due to corruption," he added.

Team Anna to be revamped after formulating constitution

RALEGAN SIDDHI: Under allround attack over allegations of financial misconduct and demands for its disbanding, Team Anna today decided to formulate a constitution for its anti-corruption movement and revamp the core committee after that.

The decision was taken at a meeting here chaired by Anna Hazare and attended by prominent team members Arvind Kejriwal, Prashant Bhushan and Kiran Bedi, a day after the core committee meeting in Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh decided against disbanding the present team and going for a revamp.

Hazare, in a written communication which was read out by Kejriwal at a press conference, said he did not find it right the clamour for disbanding the core committee.

"Team Anna is very strong and no one can break it. There were talks about disbanding the core committee. I don't think it is right. If we flee the ground due to some allegations, then it will erode the credibility of the movement and it is not good for the movement. Don't bother about allegations. The core committee members will unitedly face the challenges and fight back. Our fight will be on till Jan Lokpal Bill is passed. In future, a constitution will be framed for the movement... After framing the constitution, the core committee will be revamped," Hazare said.

The Constitution will have provisions on who can be the members of the core committee and working committee of the team and their character. Whoever, Hazare said, indulges in wrongdoing will be dealt with according to the constitution.

Emphasising that his movement was not against any party, Hazare claimed that the Hisar bypolls results had frightened the Congress though he does not view the winner as one who is against corruption.

Plea against Hazare: Court asks what offence has he committed

NEW DELHI: A Delhi court hearing a plea for lodging a criminal case against Anna Hazare and his associates for allegedly instigating people against the government during their anti-graft campaign today sought to know from the complainant as to what offence was committed by them.

Unimpressed by Haryana native Satbir Singh's plea for registration of a First Information Report against Hazare, Metropolitan Magistrate Tyagita Singh asked him to first explain as to what criminal offence had been committed by them.

Agreeing with the Delhi police argument that complainant had no case whatsoever, the court remarked, "No personal vendetta is required for bringing criminal law into force."

On complainant Singh's repeated accusation that Hazare's provocative speeches led youths to participate in his anti-graft hunger strike at Ramlila Maidan and resulted in the death of a young protester, the court said the supporters had come to join the campaign on their own.

Singh, in his complaint, had alleged that 21-year-old Sandeep had participated in Hazare's hunger strike and died of pneumonia, holding Team Anna responsible for it.

He has also accused Hazare of instigating people across the country to lay a siege of the houses of Members of Parliament and ministers to press their demands.

The police, in its reply, filed earlier before the court, had said no case is made out against Hazare and his team.

Do not politicise Anna's fight, says Rajnath

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Rajnath Singh on Thursday said social activist Anna Hazare's fight against corruption should not be seen in a political light. “It is a mass movement, addressing the bigger question of corruption. It is not right to politicise it.”

Speaking on the sidelines of the Jan Swabhiman Yatra against corruption, which he flagged off here, Mr. Singh said he saw the yatra in his home State (Uttar Pradesh) “as a moral obligation towards its people when it is going through a crisis caused by corruption.” Kalraj Mishra is leading the yatra.

Target of goons outside court was man whose niece broke Anna fast

On August 28, when Anna Hazare broke his fast, a little girl named Ikra sat next to him with a glass of coconut water. Near the stage sat 46-year-old Mohammad Ahmad Saifi, proud that his niece was chosen by Team Anna to offer the glass to Hazare and end his fast at Ramlila Maidan.

Residents of Baharwali Gali at Turkman Gate, where Ikra lives, celebrated through the day in honour of their little heroine.

This was probably the reason why Saifi went to Patiala House courts on Thursday to “defend the honour” of Team Anna member Prashant Bhushan. Saifi was attacked along with four others by over 50 Sri Ram Sene and Bhagat Singh Kranti Sena activists.

A day earlier, three men from the Kranti Sena had attacked Bhushan in his Supreme Court chamber over his remarks on Kashmir.

Around 1 pm on Thursday, Saifi was going with another Anna supporter to the India Against Corruption (IAC) headquarters in Kaushambi when they received a call informing them that some people had gathered outside the Patiala House Courts Complex to raise anti-Hazare slogans.

“When we rushed to the scene, they noticed that we were wearing ‘I am Anna’ caps and ‘Prashant Bhushan, we support you’ badges. Within minutes, they charged and began assaulting us,” Saifi said.

But Saifi holds no grudge. “I forgive them. Anna has taught us non-violence. We work that way,” he said.