Anna Hazare invites people to register for jail bharo

New Delhi: Anna Hazare's jail bharo agitation for a strong Lokpal has been a hit with netizens with over 40,000 people registering for the protest within a day of the India Against Corruption (IAC) launching a website for it.

IAC has launched a website for people to register for the agitation all over the country. The website has state wise as well as city wise listing of the number of people registered for 'jail bharo'.

Team Anna member Kiran Bedi invited registrations on Twitter on Friday. "B a Freedom fighter agnst corruption Register for Jail bharo. Sms to 575758 or call 07303150500," she tweeted.

Over 40,000 people had registered for the agitation till 7 am on Saturday on the
 website www.jailchalo.com.

The website for the agitation starting December 30, is called 'Jail Bharo' (http://www.jailchalo.com/) and invites people to register for the protest in their respective states and cities.

The count of people who have registered for the agitation was 40,184 till 7:00 am on Saturday and the number is going up every second.

Anna Hazare and his team have rejected the Lokpal Bill presented in the Lok Sabha on Thursday and have announced to resume their agitation from December 27. Hazare will fast at Mumbai's Azad Maidan from December 27 to December 29 and will begin jail bharo from December 30.

The Government had tabled the Lokpal Bill in the Lok Sabha on Thursday even as MPs cutting across party lines criticised several provisions of the anti-corruption legislation.

While some MPs criticised specific provisions of the legislation, others asked came down heavily on the Government for showing 'undue haste' following the Anna Hazare agitation in rushing through the Bill.
Hazare and his associates called the Bill a weak one and claimed that it would not be able to tackle corruption. Hazare's close aide even went to the extent of saying that he had little faith in Parliament after the debate over Lokpal Bill in Lok Sabha.

"They say (MPs) 'have faith in Parliament'. My mother says 'have faith in Lord Shiva'. I now tend to agree more with my mother," Kejriwal tweeted.

Another Team Anna member and former IPS officer Kiran Bedi feared that the Lokpal Bill may go the Women's Reservation Bill's way as those in power are comfortable with status quo.

"What you are seeing is nothing unexpected. It may go the Women's Bill way. There is no unity, no consensus on the issue," she said reacting to the opposition from some political parties to the proposed legislation.

Bedi said the bill was hurting those in power. "It appears that status quo suits those in position and power," she said.

Lokpal will be 'new Gaddafi': Shiv Sena

NEW DELHI: On the eve of introduction of a new Lokpal bill in Parliament, Shiv Sena today appealed to political parties to stop a "new Gaddafi" from taking birth.

Declaring that creation of the Lokpal was not the only way to eradicate corruption, Party General Secretary Sanjay Raut said that the passage of the bill could lead to the ombudsman controlling the nation.

"Stop a new Gaddafi from taking birth in the interest of the nation and Parliamentary democracy," the MP said.

Claiming that Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thacakrey was the first party chief to come out against the creation of the Lokpal to maintain supremacy of Parliament and its representatives, he said that other parties needed to follow suit.

Shiv Sena, he said, has always fought against corruption and has staged agitations on the issue. He claimed that Team Anna member Kiran Bedi has "no moral right" to agitate on the issue of corruption due to her alleged "acts of omission and commission".

He also took a dig at Anna Hazare's plans to shift the venue of his proposed fast from Delhi to Mumbai in view of the intense cold in the capita . He said that MPs have been attending Parliament in spite of the cold and have even extended the winter session.

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.

Delhi: Hundreds gather for Team Anna's show of strength

New Delhi: Hundreds showed up on Sunday in a show of strength by Team Anna ahead of the December 11 dharna that Anna Hazare has called, over demands for the Lokpal Bill.

Team Anna member Kiran Bedi said, "They have gone back on whatever the Prime Minister and Parliament had promised. Keeping the CBI under their control they have shown they are not serious about tackling corruption. It's a useless Lokpal. It seems whatever Anna fasted for has been wasted."

Clearly Team Anna and the government is on collision course again, the rally in the national capital could well mark the beginning of the third chapter for the demand of the Lokpal Bill.

Parliamentary Standing Committee vetting the Lokpal Bill is likely to recommend against some key Anna demands like bringing the Prime Minister and group C and D employees under the ambit of the Lokpal. The judiciary has also been kept out of the purview of the anti-graft watchdog.

Some opposition parties including the BJP may give a dissent note when the recommendations are tabled in Parliament.

The Standing Committee report is likely to be tabled in Parliament later this week. In the absence of a political consensus and Team Anna also sticking to its earlier stand, the question remains as to whether a middle path can be ever achieved.

Lokpal is being made an Enquiry Pal: Bedi

NEW DELHI Team Anna member Mrs Kiran Bedi today contended that the Parliamentary Standing Committee recommendations on Lokpal Bill will only help in making the ombdusman an “Enquiry Pal” with no powers at all.

Mrs Bedi said Anna Hazare and his supporters did not fight for such an anti-corruption watchdog. “The Standing Committee report on Lokpal Bill is very self-defeating. Lokpal is being made an 'Enquiry Pal',” Mrs Bedi said.

Contending that they have not agitated for “another CVC (Central Vigilance Commission” which does not have any power, she contended: “Without CBI, Lokpal is an Enquiry Pal. But in the report CBI is the chief chef for cooking (investigations) and Lokpal the bearer (prosecution) serving what is there.”
“CBI is hamstrung. It needs to be set free. Its current occupants need help. Why is government not letting the CBI go? Government is afraid of losing control of the CBI,” she said.

She said the the ball is now in the court of the Opposition and us too. “Do we let this enslavement continue? Or strive to change? I pray Opposition unites to bring CBI's anti corruption wing under Lokpal,” she said.
Asked about the next course of action, she said Mr Hazare has already announced that he will resume the agitation. Referring to continuous disruption of Parliament on one issue or another, Mrs Bedi said if needed, the government should call a special session to pass the Lokpal Bill. Team Anna has been insisting that the Bill should be passed in the ongoing winter session of Parliament.

The Standing Committee has concluded its deliberations on the Lokpal Bill amidst sharp division among its members on the inclusion of the Prime Minister within Lokpal's ambit.

In an open letter to IPS officers, Mrs Bedi said: “IPS must stand up to set CBI free. There is still a window of opportunity. It's now or God knows when?”

She said the Standing Committee report revealed that CBI will remain with the government and Lokpal will merely be a preliminary inquiry agency with all safeguards for the accused at various stages after which it will handover the matter to CBI to investigate the case. This hamstrung the CBI.

“Friends, please understand this is an opportunity for the CBI to be a part of the Lokpal if it wants to set itself free from political control and be an equal member of the Lokpal. As regards its investigation it will remain insulated in view of its expertise as well as the law.

“If the CBI does not come with Lokpal it could be harassed since Lokpal will be comprising heavy weights. Choose to be an equal member and set yourself free! Its devil of political abuse on one hand and equal Lokpal membership on the other, choice has to made now,” she said.

Another Team Anna member Mr Manish Sisodia said they did not understand the logic behind exclusion of Prime Minister from the ambit of Lokpal. “You want to say that nobody can speak about corruption by Prime Minister when he is office. What is this demitting office clause? So if one Prime Minister returns to power, you cannot touch the Prime Minister,” he said.

Team Anna to chalk out strategy for proposed indefinite protest

Team Anna will meet here for two days in the second week of December to chalk out its strategy for the proposed indefinite protest announced by Anna Hazare demanding a strong Lokpal Bill.

The meeting will be held on December 14 and 15 after the Gandhian holds a one-day protest in Jantar Mantar on December 11 against the “watered down” report of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Lokpal.

“We will sit and decide the mode of protest in the second week of December,” prominent Team Anna member Manish Sisodia said.

The 74-year-old activist has already announced that he will sit on an indefinite dharna from December 27 at Ramlila Maidan if Parliament does not pass a strong Lokpal Bill. Team Anna has already approached MCD and Delhi Police for permission.

Reacting to the U-turn by Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Bill, Sisodia said their protest was not limited to inclusion of Group C employees but it also covers appointment process and issue of CBI among others.

“All inspectors, including police inspectors, ration inspectors, junior engineers are covered under Group C and if they are excluded from Lokpal, what benefit a common man is going to get from Lokpal,” he said.

Referring to the formulation of Standing Committee that Lokpal will forward complaints to CBI, another team member Kiran Bedi said, “In Standing Committee report, CBI now has three bosses -- CVC, Lokpal and of course the government through Department of Personnel. Now it has 9 Lokpals too. CBI groans? Silently.”

The Committee had yesterday overturned its two key decisions within a day and favoured exclusion of group C officials from Lokpal and not to tamper with the present selection process of CBI Director despite opposition by at least 10 members.

CBDT's extensive scrutiny of NGOs

The income tax department's headline-making notices to non-governmental organisations (NGOs) associated with Kiran Bedi [ Images  ], the ex-police officer who is member of social activist Anna Hazare's team, is part of an extensive national exercise, say officials.

The exercise being carried out by the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) to detect tax evasion by all such entities, a senior official said.

"About 100,000 NGOs have filed tax returns in 2010-11 and the department has started picking up the cases for scrutiny on the basis of certain criteria relating to the type of NGOs and financial activities beyond a specified limit," he added, while declining to provide details.

The charitable activities of NGOs associated with relief to the poor, education, medical relief, protection of the environment and protection of archaeological monuments and any other purpose of general public utility are not taxable.

Commercial activities of NGOs in any other purpose of general public utility, however, are taxable, said the official.

"We are taking action under this provision of the Income Tax Act and this is going to happen on an extensive basis. Notices to Kiran Bedi's NGOs have gone under this exercise," he said.

Under the I-T Act, 'charitable purpose' includes "the advancement of any other object of general public utility".

However, the advancement of any other object of general public utility is not a charitable purpose if it involves the carrying on of any activity in the nature of trade, commerce or business.

Or, any rendering of service in relation to any trade, commerce or business for a cess or fee or other consideration, irrespective of the nature of use or application, or retention, of the income from such activity, if receipts from such activity is more than the specified limit in the previous year.

The Finance Act, 2011, raised the specified limit from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 25 lakh for such activities.

The official said under the proposed Direct Taxes Code (from April 1, 2012), the surplus income of  NGOs were slated to be taxed at 15 per cent and the department was conducting the current exercise to prepare a map for handling these entities in the new taxation mechanism.

A study commissioned by the government put the number of not-for-profit entities at 3.3 miliion till 2009.

The actual number could be much larger now, as the study, commissioned in 2008, took into consideration only those registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 or the Mumbai [ Images  ] Public Trust Act and its variants in other states.

Govt trying to scuttle 'fight against corruption': Kiran Bedi

GHAZIABAD: Team Anna member Kiran Bedi alleged the government was trying to render "futile" their fight against corruption as the core committee met on Saturday with several main members like N Santosh Hegde, Medha Patkar and Anna Hazare himself absent and demands being made for a new panel to be set up.

Bedi, before going in for the meeting, told reporters: "The government is trying hard to make futile the attempts against corruption launched by Team Anna, but we won't let that happen and all attempts of the government will fail."

Anna Hazare : Real Diwali only after Lokpal bill is passed

Mumbai : Anna Hazare who is on a ‘maun vrat’ (vow of silence), thanked the people for their part in the battle for the Jan Lokpal bill. He led his village Ralegan Siddhi in lighting 10,000 diyas to herald the festival of lights but cautioned that the “real Diwali” would be when the Jan Lokpal bill is passed.

“Anna wrote that the real Diwali will be when the bill is passed,” Hazare’s associate Datta Awari said.

“We will celebrate Diwali in true sense on the day when Jan Lokpal Bill will be implemented. That Diwali will enlighten us from within and outside. This year, we are celebrating Diwali like every year but this time around let us try to celebrate ‘that’ Diwali,” Hazare said.

In a written message, the septuagenarian thanked the people for their part in the battle for the Jan Lokpal bill. He wrote that until Lokpal bill is passed the real Diwali would not be celebrated. He distributed sweets to students  and clothes to poor people in the village.

Hazare had blogged on Monday night, defending members of his team in the face of recent controversies including inflation of travel bills by Kiran Bedi. Even after Bedi decided to return the extra travel money claimed by her for attending various events, Hazare tried to put up a defence for her.

“To accuse and humiliate seems to be the mantra of the few. This is not the first time that such accusations have been levelled against Kiran Bedi. Every member of Team Anna had to face accusations and character assassination by the ‘gang of four.’ Who are these people? Those are the very same people who are not in favour of Jan Lokpal Bill,” he said.

Hazare hoped that people who are busy levelling accusations against his team would join him in celebrations when the bill is finally passed.

Anna backs Bedi, Team reiterates Jan Lokpal Bill

New Delhi: Notwithstanding criticism from the ruling party, Team Anna on Tuesday looked 'united' in countering the allegations faced by its members and called for a core committee meeting on October 29 to reach a consensus on all the issues.

Hazare and Kejriwal on Tuesday came out in full support of Kiran Bedi, saying they are ready to face punishment if proved to be wrong. They also said that government has no other option but to pass Lokpal Bill in the winter session of the Parliament.

The Core Committee of Team Anna will meet in New Delhi during which the members are expected to discuss the controversies surrounding the group, including continuance of Prashant Bhushan in the team and alleged financial malfeasance of Arvind Kejriwal and Kiran Bedi. It is, however, not clear whether Anna Hazare will attend the meeting as he is on a 'vow of silence'.


The meeting will take place against the backdrop of the resignation of two prominent activists Rajinder Singh and P V Rajagopal and allegations against Kejriwal and Bedi.

Key Team Anna members have been amidst controversies recently. Former top cop Kiran Bedi has been accused of giving inflated claims for her travel expenses. In his latest post, Hazare, who has taken a vow of silence for the past few days, said that if the government feels Bedi had used the money for personal gains, it should probe the matter and "take stringent action against her if found guilty".

Another Team Anna member, Arvind Kejriwal, has been accused of not giving an account of some Rs 70-80 lakh donations collected at Anna Hazare's fast in Ramlila ground in August. Another member, Prashant Bhushan, recently came under attack when he favoured a plebiscite in Kashmir.

Then, travel agent and trustee of India Vision Foundation, Anil Bal, on Tuesday resigned from the NGO following the controversy over Kiran Bedi showing inflated travel expense. He termed the move to return the money incurred through such travel by Bedi as bizarre.

Attacking the governmnet, Hazare on Monday wrote a blog over recent attacks and allegations on Team Anna members. The social activist hit out at the "gang of four" within the UPA government for targeting members of Team Anna. He said that the "gang of four" was acting like ruffians to oppose those who wanted the Jan Lokpal Bill.
One of the key Team Anna members, Arvind Kejriwal also broke his silence on Tuesday daring the government to conduct a probe against him and other Team Anna members even as he questioned the motive behind the 'smear campaign'.

Defending himself and Kiran Bedi, who is under attack for inflating her travel bills, Kejriwal said, "If someone paid the ticket examiner in Railway because he needed a ticket, so that person cannot question Suresh Kalmadi? Is this the message being given out?

"Do you mean to say that out of 120 crore people, only saints can question UPA's corruption and government will keep on robbing people? If anybody questions then that person will be asked to look into his case first," he said and warned that if the current smear campaign continues, the next movement will be 10 times bigger.
Kejriwal, who was accused by Swami Agnivesh of depositing donations for Hazare agitation in a trust run by him, said if they have committed mistakes, then the government was free to probe and punish them by taking the strongest possible action.

"Dont forgive us. Give us twice the punishment given to common people. But bring Lokpal and you will have to," he said.

The Congress party also not looked on a defensive pitch.
A day after Hazare blamed the government for trying to defame his team members, Law Minister Salman Khurshid on Tuesday cautioned against creating a divide between the government and civil society.
"I don't think we should talk through media. I will not say anything, I will only say whosoever tries to create a distance between the civil society and the government is not doing any favour," Khurshid said in reply to questions on Hazare's comment.

Khurshid, however, said, "Please don't create greater distance between civil society and us."
Commenting on Hazare's blog, Congress General Secretary Digvijaya Singh on Tuesday tweeted that he is curious to know who are the lucky ones in the 'gang of four' in the UPA Government. "Anna has blogged against gang of four? Who are the lucky ones? I am curious!" Singh tweeted.

Team Anna split out in the open as accusations fly

New Delhi: The fissures in Team Anna are out in the open even as anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare and his associates are involved in an all-out war against the UPA government over the Lokpal Bill. Anna Hazare's fight against corruption started on a non-political platform, but his call to the Hisar electorate to not vote for the Congress party seems to have split his team with some members opening questioning the need to take a political stand.

Moreover, it is not only the political posture of Hazare and a part of Team Anna that seems to have upset some of his associates. The development comes even as Anna Hazara has not only cleared the air over his close associate senior lawyer Prashant Bhushan's continuance in his team after his controversial remarks calling for plebiscite in Kashmir Valley, but also said that he was willing to fight Pakistan.

Following Bhushan's comment, Hazare had also said that his continuation in Team Anna would be reconsidered following the controversial remark that also resulted in an attack on Bhushan by three people inside his chamber in the Supreme Court.

But the latest case of friction has come to the fore after the anti-Congress campaign carried out by Hazare and his close associates Arvind Kejriwal during the Hisar by-election.

Two Core Committee members PV Rajagopal and 'Waterman' Rajendra Singh have decided to disassociate themselves from the anti-corruption crusader's campaign alleging that the entire movement has turned political.
Even as Rajagopal said that the team was "putting pressure" on him not to quit, he pointed out that there are serious differences between Hazare and Bhushan.

Magsaysay Award winner Rajendra Singh told CNN-IBN that he was "never informed of the decision to campaign against the Congress". He also accused Kejriwal of being "undemocratic".

"I was working with Anna on several things like water management, land issues and other issue, but what has been taking place in last few days is wrong. I was called for a meeting on few occasions, but I am not in favour of party politics. Every movement is political in nature, but not party politics and that’s why I told them that I don’t want to be a member of a team which is involved in party politics," he said.

Singh's views were also echoed by another Hazare associate Professor HM Desarda who accused Kejriwal and another Team Anna member and former Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Kiran Bedi of using the anti-corruption crusader.

"My association with Anna Hazare is more then 25 years. Such a genuine cause has been hijacked by people for their narrow ambition. I wrote a letter to Anna and appealed to him that it would not be wise thing to confront entire Parliament process. Kiran Bedi and Kejriwal used to go to BJP leaders LK Advani and Sushma Swaraj and took instruction from the BJP. That's why I advise Anna that it would not be wise to be with Kiran Bedi," claimed Desarda.

Even former Karnataka Lokayukta Justice Santosh Hegde, who was chosen by Anna Hazare as one of the civil society representatives in the Lokpal Bill Drafting Committee, has voiced his disapproval of the anti-Congress campaign by Team Anna in Hisar by-poll.

However, Kiran Bedi downplayed the news of Rajagopal and Singh distancing themselves from their anti-corruption campaign

"I have heard about it. They haven't told me why they are leaving. It is a voluntary group. These are all volunteers, we are all volunteers. Anyone can come and leave anytime," said Bedi.
She declined to accept that cracks were appearing within Team Anna and instead reiterated that the movement for a strong Lokpal would continue.

"Anna is a pivotal force. We are all bound to him. There are no cracks. People are coming around Anna. He is the architect of this movement. There will be differences of opinion, (but) the single unifier is the Jan Lokpal," she said.

Meanwhile, Hazare took another swipe at Bhushan over his controversial Kashmir plebiscite remark.
Writing in his blog on Tuesday Hazare said that he is even willing to fight against Pakistan for Kashmir as against those who merely talk. He pointed out that as an armyman, he had taken an active part in the India-Pakistan war and also survived a bullet injury. He added that Kashmir is an integral part of India and will remain so.

In his blog, he wrote, "This is my active conviction that Kashmir is an integral part of India and will remain so. Today once again if I have to, I am ready to take part in war against Pakistan. But some people can only speak and don't do anything on ground in reality for Kashmir and this is unfortunate."

The cracks in Team Anna first appeared during Hazare's indefinite fast at the Ramlila Maidan in Delhi when his then associate Swami Agnivesh was heard talking on phone to someone called Kapilji, who was assumed to be Union Minister Kapil Sibal, and criticising Team Anna for its stubborn ways. The team dissociated with Agnivesh completely after the episode.

Now it seems that more than Anna versus the government, it appears to be like Team Anna versus its own members.

Anna glory theme for Durga Puja pandal decoration

GUWAHATI: Anna Hazare's crusade against corruption in Ramlila Maidan has left a deeper impact in the minds of people than many would have thought.

Pandal decoration depicting Hazare's fight against graft and Team Anna members like Arvind Kejriwal and Kiran Bedi motivating a sea of people, is set to be a grand attraction for Durga Puja this year in Guwahati.

Even after a ban on depiction of politicians or political events through such decorations in various parts of the country, organizers of the the Shantipur Swisgate Sarbajanin Durgapuja Samity feel proud to highlight the achievements of Team Anna in their puja theme.

"Clay models of Anna will be seen appealing to the mass gatherings at Ramlila while Arvind Kejriwal will be depicted as sitting aside. A Kiran Bedi model will be seen inspiring people by swaying the tricolour to and fro", said general secretary of the puja committee Nilabh Jyoti Das.

"When our committee took the decision to depict the Anna episode in our puja theme, some of our associates requested us to rethink the decision as he (Anna) has had a major clash with some politicians. But, we could not alter our decision since he is undoubtedly the most prominent apolitical leader mobilizing people of the country against corruption", he said.

Das rued that despite being equipped to make exceptional clay models with electronic set ups, the artistes were neglected by many organizers who could have introduced them to people from other parts of the state and the country.

He was hopeful that the puja committee will not only be able to provide glimpses of extraordinary craftsmanship to the visitors but also will introduce two exceptional talents who were confined to their area for years.

Satyaban Kumar, a government employee, along with his colleague Bhupen Kalita has made this electronic set up for the coming Dugra puja.

Satyaban, who hails from South Kamrup, said their work was unique in everyway as clay models will move on stage with the help of electricity.

"It is our hobby to make such clay models. They are different from normal clay dolls. It is indeed a great pleasure to depict such tall Indian figures like Anna Hazare in our works", he said.

Prashant Bhushan replies to privilege notice

New Delhi: Key team Anna member and advocate Prashant Bhushan on Wednesday replied to the breach of privilege notices issued to him and other Team Anna members for their alleged derogatory remarks against Parliamentarians.

After Bhushan, Kiran Bedi and Arvind Kejriwal are also expected to file their replies later today.

It is to be noted that social activist Anna Hazare’s close associates were served privilege notices for mocking the Parliamentarians on September 3 and 4.

Terming the notice as "totally unjustified", Team Anna members said that "speaking the truth in public interest does not amount to breach of privilege".

"If speaking truth in public interest amounts to breach of privilege, then time has come for the country to review the whole notion of Parliamentary privileges," Bhushan said.

Kejriwal also confirmed that the letter has been received at his residence in Ghaziabad.

Prior to Kejriwal, former IPS officer Kiran Bedi also received breach of privilege notice for her remarks against parliamentarians.


"Received Breach of Privilege. Shall respond appropriately recording the distrust 'we the people' were suffering," Bedi had tweeted in her reaction to the development.

Bedi had said that she will not "apologise" for her remarks against politicians, but intends to show a "bigger mirror" to the House on the conduct of lawmakers.

"If I get a notice, I would say I am sorry I will not be able to say sorry. If I get an opportunity I will go before the Committee and will show a bigger mirror to Parliament," she had said.

She said whatever she had said was in reference to a situation, where it was needed to be said. "The truth has to be said. I didn't have any other option as we didn't know whether we would have a resolution," she said.

The privilege notice against Bedi came as she accused politicians of wearing "several masks" at the same time, drawing the ire of MPs from both Houses.

Team Anna core committee meeting begins tomorrow

MUMBAI: A two-day meeting of Team Anna core committee will begin at his village Ralegan Siddhi tomorrow.

"Arvind Kejriwal reached the village this afternoon, while Kiran Bedi and Prashant Bhushan will be reaching tomorrow morning," Hazare's close aide Datta Awari said over phone from Ralegan Siddhi.

The meeting is being held in the backdrop of Hazare making public his displeasure over the government "targeting" his team members. Bedi, Bhushan and Kejriwal have been served breach of privilege notices and Kejriwal has also been slapped with Income Tax notice.

At the meeting, Hazare and the core committee members are expected to discuss strategy on current issues, including the notices issued by the Centre.

On September 2, while addressing a gram sabha meeting at Ralegan Siddhi, Hazare had launched an attack on the UPA regime, saying half of those in the government were liars. He had singled out Union Home Minister P Chidambaram, describing him as 'mischievous'.

Swami Agnivesh was like a govt mole, says Kiran Bedi

NEW DELHI: Former IPS officer and Anna Hazare aide Kiran Bedi has said that social activist Swami Agnivesh was like a government mole in the India Against Corruption team.

Asked about Agnivesh's charge that had it not been for Bedi and Arvind Kejriwal, Hazare's fast would have been over long ago, a strident Bedi told a TV channel, "If you are going by what Mr Agnivesh says, then better let it be. He is still to establish his own credentials. The tape showing him in conversation with Kapil Sibal shows that he had a direct link with Sibal. It was almost like he was a government mole among us. There were allegations for long but we kept ignoring it. What conscience did he have sitting down with us?"

The tape Bedi referred to is the one that has been doing the rounds for some time now where Agnivesh, addressing the person at the other end as "Kapilji" and "Maharaj" at different times, had said, "These people (Team Anna) have become mad like an elephant and you are giving them more and more every day. I feel embarrassed by their attitude when the government has been so accommodating."

Sources in the Hazare camp said that even during the Gandhian's first five-day fast in April at Jantar Mantar demanding the Jan Lokpal Bill, there were questions about Agnivesh's conduct but the team chose to ignore it as they thought overt signs of a division might end up hurting the campaign.

Agnivesh has already denied that this was a conversation he was having with HRD minister Kapil Sibal who was among the ministers negotiating regularly with Anna Hazare's team. He said the man at the other end of the line was Haridwar-based godman Kapil Maharaj who has since denied having any conversation with Agnivesh. The last the social activist had said about the tape was that it was a "cut and paste" job. He has been incommunicado since then.

Bedi also said in the interview that Agnivesh had told her that it was a fraud. "I told him that in that case, he should go to the police and get the matter investigated." In an interview to a different channel, Bedi, when asked if there were "hidden agendas" within Team Anna, said, "Those with hidden agendas have separated. Look at Mr Agnivesh."

Meeting Notes: Anna Hazare and Sharmila Irom

It was 1997, the year India was marking her 50th year of Independence. There would have been many celebrations of this momentous occasion but only one unique observation of this historical timeline stays on with me: a NGO based in Mumbai was taking about 250 young people from India and across the world to places of India’s history and future in a train specially reserved for the purpose! The announcement was made on a popular cultural TV program (which we don’t see the likes of now) called Surabhi beamed on Doordarshan and various other newspapers. It was a happy moment when I got confirmation that I was to be one of the said young people on the train that would ultimately travel for 11 days across the country facilitating interactions with people who were inspiring: Mark Tully, Abdul Kalam (then with ISRO and who talked us then of the possibility of an Indian moon mission which did become a reality!), Bunker Roy of Tillonia (married to Aruna Roy and behind hugely successful rural enterprises, water harvesting, adult literacy among others in Tillonia in Rajashthan), Kiran Bedi (much before her controversial stint in Mizoram) and Anna Hazare who was known at that point of time mostly for his pioneering work in Ralegan Siddhi, a village in Ahmednagar district, Maharashtra.



The said rail yatra was mainly organized to instill in young people the essence of leadership, innovation and social development. The routine was that we would be traveling in the train non-stop till we reached the places we were meant to be and then getting back to the train for the night. So, there was an air of curiosity when we were told that we would have an overnight stay at Ralegan Siddhi to meet a Gandhian who had taken up rural conservation and community work. The villagers took us around the place and we were told how small canals had been dug up to generate water flow. But it was two things that impressed me greatly: a school for juvenile children and the practice of Shramdaan or volunteer work as a form of social charity. The school had classrooms but if the children so wanted, classes would be held under the shade of trees in the open. There were yoga classes for “anger management” while most constructions in the village: the small dams, solar panels, wells, places of worship were all built through Shramdaan.

In the evening, we sat in a community hall and then, in walked Anna who spoke of his “second life” (he was the lone survivor during an enemy attack during an India-Pakistan war). We talked then mostly of philosophy and working for social upliftment. Like many of my fellow yatris, we thought nothing much about questioning his rigid stand against alcoholics (they were beaten up, period) and I even piped in my two bit and told him how Nishabandi women in Manipur were also doing the same! It would take me some years to understand the concept of public health and harm reduction and see that the greater crime of punitive measures on substance abusers only marginalizes them and do nothing about addressing the dependency. Anna Hazare’s activism against corruption started later and one cannot say much of what happened in between. But personally, the posturing Anna that one sees on TV (wagging fingers and dictating terms) is a very different person from the Anna I met all those years ago. The Anna then actually asked us young people on what we thought he should incorporate more into his work in his village in terms of forest and water conservation etc. The Anna one gets to see now refuses any kind of disagreement with his thoughts and beliefs.

November 2000 and a young woman called Irom Sharmila decided to fast to protest after 10 civillians were gunned down at Malom. My first reaction then (and I am/ not ashamed to own up to this now) was that it would be some token fast. Some days later, there was the “fast against AFSPA till the act is taken off” context and I thought that hers was an illogical/irrational and totally crazy stand to take. I also shrugged it off as “some group must be behind her” motive. I totally bought the “AFSPA is necessary till there are insurgents” theory for quite a long time till my own readings on militarism and armed conflicts around the world and conflict resolution/reconciliation processes made me sit up and engage in some serious questioning.

The first meeting happened in March 2009 during her customary yearly release. It was total chaos: there was a meeting of over 50 odd woman journalists from all over the country happening in Imphal and they all wanted to meet her. And then, there was the usual local media attention too. The first meeting was more of a brief sighting especially since I did not believe I needed to add my own questions to the many that were being addressed to her.

The second meeting happened in a unique setting: something that I have only shared with a few friends but one that can be let out in the public domain now. January 2010 saw me with very high fever after a trip to Bangkok and my Uncle, a doctor asked me to get a swine flu test done. Since he was with Jawarlal Nehru hospital then, I went there. Those who follow news would be aware that I was tested positive for swine flu but much before that news broke, I was raising hell over the state of the isolation ward at the hospital. What I did not want to call attention to the media then was that while I was standing outside the isolation ward with the face mask on, waiting for hospital staff to find the keys to the room (they took about an hour and a half!) I saw a familiar figure some 10 metres away from me. It was Sharmila Irom! My heart plummeted inside me: here was this one person I wanted to talk with and I was supposedly at risk of an infection that I could pass on to her. I have a small face and the mask covered most of it and I saw Iche Sharmila looking quizzically at me. I rolled my eyes at her and hoped that she would not come near (I did not want to be responsible for her health!). When eventually, my test results came in positive, I wasn’t too worried about my own health (I did not take Tamiflu medication) or my family (they did not have any fever) but I obsessively kept an ear open for any news on Sharmila’s health!

In May 2010, I got third time lucky and I had a long meeting with Iche Sharmila. I was going along as a sort of translator for a journalist and writer. We talked mostly of non-political issues: of her books and poetry we talked at great length. And then she took both my hands and said solemnly, “remember when you were at this hospital with your mask on?” And then she laughed and told me, “you don’t know the amount of activity and consternation that happened here after you left!” There was no air of moral superiority following the status of icon-hood that has settled on her: I was face to face with a unique person yes but also a normal human being, a young woman kept in isolation but very aware of the world around her.

End-point:
Many people have pitched Anna Hazare’s crusade against corruption and Sharmila Irom’s stand against AFSPA. But their stands are different and the battlefield totally apart from each other. My own interaction with both of them happened at different times and stages of their journey. But what stays on following my interactions with Iche Sharmila are the little ways in which she is so much a person than an icon. It is something that one does not get to see in other people who take on the mantle of greatness.

Bedi cites Mahatma, justifies her anti-MP rant

New Delhi: Anna Hazare's close associate and former Indian Police Service officer Kiran Bedi is back to stoking controversy and has now invoked the name of Mahatma Gandhi to further her cause. Bedi, who is already facing a privilege motion for lampooning MPs and politicians during Hazare's anti-corruption agitation, tweeted that even Mahatma Gandhi had criticised the working of the British Parliament.

Responding to a fellow tweeter, she quoted the Indian Home Rule or Hind Swaraj to say Mahatma Gandhi was unsparing in his critique of the British Parliament.

"Tweeple pl search and read Indian Home Rule or Hind Swaraj pages 27 carrying scathing views of Gandhiji on British Parliament," she tweeted.

She also said that may be the Mahatma's grandson Tushar Gandhi also needs to read the Indian Home Rule to gain a better perspective.

Expressing her angst at Parliament and policies formulated during the British rule, she in fact quotes Anna as sayings: "@eldersforpeople which is why the outcry. Anna used to say 'Gore Chale Gaye aur Kale Reh Gaye (white people have left, but left behind the blacks)".

Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar received the privilege notice against Bedi from PL Punia, Jagadambika Pal, Ramashankar Rajbhar, Lalchand Kataria, Mirza Aslam Beg, Praveen Aron and Shailendra Kumar.
The privilege motion against her has been sent to the Privilege Committee by the Speaker.

Parliament considering privilege motions against Bedi, Om Puri Read more at: http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/parliament-considering-privilege-motions-against-bedi-om-puri-129910&cp

New Delhi:  Anna Hazare's close aide Kiran Bedi and actor Om Puri face privilege motions for mocking at and passing caustic comments against lawmakers.

The notices were filed in both houses of parliament Monday even as Om Puri apologised for calling MPs "anpadh" (uneducated) and "nalayak" (incompetent) at the Ramlila Maidan during Hazare's fast last week.

Bedi expressed no regrets for poking fun at politicians who she alleged don "several masks" to deceive people.

MPs in both Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha have given notices against the two for the "derogatory and defamatory" comments.

Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar said she was considering a privilege motion against Om Puri and Bedi.

"The matter is under my consideration. I have received notices on the question of privilege," she said in the Lok Sabha after she received the complaints.

Similar notices were also given in the Rajya Sabha where Deputy Chairman K. Rahman Khan said he would convey the sense of the house on the issue to Chairman Hamid Ansari.

If the notices are admitted, the privilege committee will quiz the accused and recommend action against them.

Mohammed Adeeb, an independent MP from Uttar Pradesh, said Bedi had mocked at parliamentarians by wrapping a scarf around her head and face.

"They say one thing inside the house and one thing outside. You remove one mask, then you find another one, and then another," she said, at the protest rally of Hazare last week.

Om Puri also launched a blistering attack on politicians from the stage at Ramlila Maidan. He told the thousands gathered that he feels "ashamed when an IAS or IPS officer salutes a ganwar (illiterate) who is a neta (political leader).

"Yeh anpadh hain, inka kya background hai? Aadhe se zyaada MP ganwaar hain," Om Puri, known for his character roles, told the cheering crowd.

However, the 60-year-old actor later apologised and said he was ready to face any action by MPs. "If they are still angry with me, I will take whatever punishment they give me."

Team Anna attacks Agnivesh over controversial video

New Delhi: Swami Agnivesh, a close associate of Anna Hazare, was the target of the core Team Anna which attacked him over a controversial video posted on YouTube where he is purportedly telling a person alleged to be a Union Minister that the government should act tough with the fasting Gandhian.

Agnivesh on his part claimed the video footage was 'doctored and concoted' and part of a smear campaign against him and denied he was talking to Union Minister Kapil Sibal. The minister was involved in negotiations during the intitial stages of the stand-off between Team Anna and the Government.

Team Anna member Kiran Bedi alleged that Agnivesh has been caught on camera where is asking a person after addressing him as 'Kapil', "Maharaj, why are you giving them so much?'


"Who's Maharaj? whether it is Kapil Sibal on the other side. He said Sibal sahab, I heard that," she said.
Bedi accused Agnivesh of being absolutely unethical. The core Anna Team and Agnivesh had developed differences during the course of Hazare's fast.

Bedi told PTI that the footage has "shocked us all and we are very uncomfortable" with it.
"Only he can answer this. He should own it or reject. However it leaves no doubt. It obviously tell us what happened. He should tell us who is the person whom he mentioned in this," she added.
Agnivesh said, "These were lies and it is a cut and paste job. There are several people in my personal circle whose first name is Kapil. I never address political leaders as 'Maharaj'. Kapil Maharaj could be anyobody" he said without disclosing the identity of the person whom he was seen talking to on the video footage.
In the video, Agnivesh is seen coming out of the ground floor of a building, which could not be identified, talking over phone.

He was heard talking about about Parliament's appeal to Hazare to end his fast and the Gandhian's insistence on continuing with his hunger strike.

Agnivesh allegedly said that what the other side was doing against the government was not proper.
He purportedly tells the person on the other side that government should not concede anything and deal firmly as they were toughening their stand whenever government is conceding something.

In the video, Agnivesh also referred to Parliament's appeal and said that if Hazare is not ending his fast even after a 'big appeal' from the whole Parliament, then it was not good.

Grateful for resolution, says Kiran Bedi

Kiran Bedi waves national flag at Ramlila Ground in New Delhi..

In initial reactions to Parliament recommending forwarding Anna Hazare's demands on Lokpal Bill to Standing Committee, Team Anna member Kiran Bedi on Saturday night said that they were "very grateful" for the reconciliation in the largest interest of the country.

Bedi said, "We are very grateful to the reconciliation in the largest interest of the country."

"Lets proceed now to build a honest India. Let each citizen now to vow neither to bribe not ask for. We should be vigilant here after," she said thanking all those who fought alongside.

Terming it as a "win-win" situation for both sides, another Team Anna member Medha Patkar said while there was no surrender of Parliament supremacy, there was also victory of people's power.

However, she still termed it the development as "part betrayal" as this was not something which was agreed during a meeting between Team Anna and law minister Salman Khurshid.

"But I will not like to say (these things) now at this historic time when people's power is at its peak," she said.