Team Anna steps up pressure, asks Congress 'high command' stand on Lokpal

NEW DELHI: Stepping up pressure on the Lokpal issue with a rally in the capital, Team Anna today wanted the Congress high command to make clear its position on this legislation since its word was "final", accusing government of betraying the anti-graft movement.

Hundreds of Anna Hazare  supporters, carrying national flags and wearing T-shirts with his name, participated in a car and bike rally to build support for the activist's version of Lokpal bill--the Janlokpal bill.

About 400 cars and bikes participated in the rally organised by India Against Corruption  (IAC), the umbrella organisation of Hazare's anti-graft movement, ahead of his planned protest at Jantar Mantar on December 11 to express their disappointment with the government's version of the anti-corruption law.

"We want to hear the high command, what does the high command want? If the high command wants the right kind of bill, it will come. It is the high command's word, which is final... What does the high command want?", asked Team Anna member Kiran Bedi  during the rally here.

Waving flags, Bedi and some of her supporters sat on the hood of the car waved to people lined up on the two sides of the rally route.

The rally started from Rajghat in central Delhi and terminated at Tughlakabad Maidan in south Delhi.

Bedi also said there was a need to make people aware of government's moves on the Lokpal bill.

"We have to spread the word that the government is betraying us. Everyone doesn't have the knowledge about what is going on," the former IPS officer said.

Bedi and another Team Anna member and senior lawyer Prashant Bhushan led the rally.

Hazare had announced that he will hold a one-day stir at Jantar Mantar on December 11 to protest against the "watered down" report of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Lokpal.

Congress looks to open up cracks in Team Anna

NEW DELHI: Congress tried to drive a wedge in Team Anna, saying the Gandhian took a vow of silence to avoid answering difficult queries on the shenanigans of his aides, like Prashant Bhushan's demand for plebiscite in Kashmir, inflated travel bills of Kiran Bedi and Arvind Kejriwal calling Parliament inferior to Anna Hazare.

The Congress barb sought to reopen the tricky issues which have divided the motley group held together by the glue of anti-graft campaign. While Hazare immediately dissociated himself from Bhushan's views on Kashmir, the team brushed the issue under the carpet lest it start a fissionary tendency in the core team.

But Congress's fresh salvo, asking Hazare to come clean on Kashmir because Bhushan represented him before the parliamentary committee on Thursday, sought to confront the Gandhian with uncomfortable queries again.

"Anna should clarify because Indians will never accept plebiscite in Kashmir. It is against India and in favour of the stand taken by Pakistan," Congress spokesperson Rashid Alvi said, rubbing it in by saying that the Gandhian's 'maun vrat" was to avoid these difficult queries about his aides.

The focus on Kashmir came amid raised pitch in Congress which dubbed the actions of Hazare's aides as flippant. "Someone wants a plebiscite in Kashmir, another gives inflated tour bills, yet another person calls Hazare above Parliament. Where do they want to take this country?" Alvi asked.

With winter session of Parliament looming, Hazare camp's attempt to retrain focus on Congress has angered the ruling party which feels the Gandhian's warning to government despite assurances on Lokpal was inspired by its rivals.

The anger showed as Alvi made light of Hazare's assurance that his campaign after Lokpal bill is passed would not target any party but only seek votes for good people. "Else, if the Lokpal is not passed, he will seek votes for bad people," Alvi mocked.

Congress's raised pitch was widely seen as an attempt to not let Team Anna gain the upper hand in the run-up to the winter session. It called his letter to the PM as unnecessary while dismissing Kejriwal's cheque to the PM as an "insult to the high office". Alvi said, "Kejriwal should have returned the money to his superior in the government department he worked in."

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.

Rift in Team Anna Hazare on Prashant Bhushan, members dimayed at flip-flop

RALEGAN SIDDHI/NEW DELHI: Notwithstanding Anna Hazare's clarification on the status of Prashant Bhushan in his anti-corruption struggle, serious differences appeared to have cropped up in Team Anna on some important issues facing his campaign.

Hazare's latest position that the Core Committee of his campaign will meet and decide whether Bhushan will continue in his team or not has surprised the other Team Anna members, sources said today.

In two days, Hazare has changed his stand on Bhushan, who is in the eye of the storm for his advocacy of plebiscite in Jammu and Kashmir, thrice, much to the dismay of some of his team members.

74-year-old Hazare had on Friday noon said that the continuance of Bhushan will be decided soon, only to retract following a meeting of Core Committee which met in New Delhi.

Though he did not attend the meeting, the members were in constant touch with him and Hazare issued a clarification in his blog, blaming "some negative forces" in media for spreading lies in his name.

However, the blog posting disappeared within hours, without giving any reasons.

Bhushan had kicked off a controversy through his advocacy of plebiscite in Jammu and Kashmir. The issue came to fore after three youths attacked him in his office in New Delhi last week.

The real shocker for some of the key members came when Hazare told a TV channel last night, "I am against anybody who talks about dividing the country. I am very uncomfortable with what Bhushan has said. Our core committee will meet to decide on his continuing as a team member. After it meets. I will take a decision."

With this, Hazare went back to his original stand of distancing himself from Bhushan's remarks on Kashmir.

Dal Khalsa sees Central intelligence agencies’ hand in Bhushan attack

Terming Wednesday’s attack on lawyer-activist Prashant Bhushan as “premeditated and brutal”, Dal Khalsa in a press statement issued in Patiala on Friday, alleged that Central intelligence agencies had engineered the attack.

“The agencies have killed two birds with one stone. They had created fissures among Anna Hazare team members because of their differences on Jammu and Kashmir referendum issue coming to fore and at the same time, muzzling the voices in favour of right to self-determination for Kashmir,” senior leaders Satnam Singh Paonta Sahib and Kanwar Pal Singh said in the statement.

They said “so called” Bhagat Singh Kranti Sena’s “Sikh face” Tajinderpal Singh Bagga and other members were “RSS men remote-controlled by central intelligence agencies”.

Bagga and his goons created ruckus at a Delhi seminar, in which, Hurriyat and Dal Khalsa representatives spoke besides Arundhati Roy, the statement said.

Meanwhile, referring to the arrest of IPS officer Sanjeev Bhatt — who according to them “unmasked” Narendra Modi in Gujarat — and “framing” of Vikas Gupta along with his parents under the dowry act by the Haryana Police, the Dal Khalsa said that it has been proved that those who dare to call a spade a spade will not get justice but land up in jails.

“The people, who are in power or close to the corridors of power, were calling the shots, leaving ordinary men to realise that they are sons of the lesser Gods. The country has two sets of law — one for the ruling elite and its agents and other for ordinary citizens,” the statement added.

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.

Anna Hazare disowns Prashant Bhushan's J&K remarks

NEW DELHI: Faced with embarrassment over Prashant Bhushan's remarks advocating referendum for deciding the status of Jammu and Kashmir, Team Anna on Friday distanced itself from the lawyer-cum-activist's remarks and maintained that the northern state was an "integral'' part of India.

That Bhushan Junior's remarks had rattled the other members of the team was evident when their leader Anna Hazare while asserting that Jammu and Kashmir was very much a part of India dropped hints to suggest that the Supreme Court lawyer's continuance in the group was now under a cloud.

"Woh aage jaake hum log tay karenge, rakhna (hai), nahi rakhna (hai) (We will decide later whether he will remain with the team or not)," he told newspersons in his village, Ralegan Siddhi, in Maharashtra's Ahmednagar district, when asked whether Bhushan, a key member of the team cobbled together by the anti-graft crusader to lead his campaign, will continue to be a part of the group.

"Whatever views he has articulated, that is not right," he said, two days after the junior Bhushan was attacked by three youth in his New Supreme Court lawyer's chamber.

The other members of the team too echoed similar sentiments, even though they clarified that Prashant Bhushan would remain a part of their group. A meeting of their core committee was held during the course of the day in Noida, in which a resolution stating that Kashmir was an integral part of the country was adopted.

Arvind Kejriwal, a key member of the group, later held a press conference in the Capital in which he clarified Anna's remarks on the Supreme Court lawyer. "He is an integral part of the team. He is a much respected citizen who has worked in several areas, including environment and human rights. He has played a crucial role in the anti-corruption movement also," Kejriwal said.

He said he had spoken to Anna over phone. "He told me that he did not say that. What he told me was that the committee will decide who should be in or out,'' Kejriwal said.

The core committee meeting could not be attended by Prashant Bhushan, who had since then left for the US, retired IPS officer Kiran Bedi, who was away in Amsterdam, besides Anna.

Kejriwal claimed that he had shown the resolution to Bhushan last evening and during his conversation, the lawyer told him that he has no problem with the movement taking a stand on Kashmir, even though he had his own views on the subject.

"Bhushan's statement (on Kashmir) is not the views of the team. He has never asked the team. These are his personal views. The team is not responsible for the comments. We are not in agreement with him," Kejriwal said, adding, "We did not like this (statement). It is not our view.''

Hazare, earlier in the day, had reiterated that Kashmir was an integral part of the country and he would do whatever he could do for the state. "Kashmir is an integral part of the country and it will remain so and we will have to do whatever we have to ensure this. This mindless argument on the issue should stop,'' he told newspersons in his village.

A day earlier, Bedi too had said the remarks made by Bhushan Jr were his personal views. "This is Bhushan's personal view. I am for better governance and integration of the people with Jammu and Kashmir," the retired police officer said.

Prashant Bhushan: Anna Hazare condemns attack, asks for security

RALEGAN SIDDHI (MAHARASHTRA): Anna Hazare Wednesday condemned the attack on his team member and senior lawyer Prashant Bhushan and demanded security for his aides for "some time."

"I condemn the attack in the strongest terms. This is not the way. This is not right. The youths should not take law into their hands," Hazare told reporters here.

He said the youngsters are the hope of this nation.

"They will take care of our country. But the youths should not take law in their hands. I will pray for this. This is not our culture," he added.

He added that as they were "anti-social elements", his team members should be "given security for some time".

Bhushan was bashed up by some youths at his Supreme Court chamber in New Delhi. He blamed the attack, captured by a TV crew, on the rightwing Sri Ram Sene.

Hazare said he was not aware about the reason behind the attack.

Asked whether his team members should be provided security, he said they should be for some time.

"It does not matter if they get security but there should be a change in mindset. This has been proven by the assassination of India Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi," he added.

Then prime minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated by her Sikh guards Oct 31, 1984. Her son Rajiv Gandhi, the seventh prime minister of the country, was killed by a suicide bomber of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on May 21, 1991.

Anna Hazare condemns attack on Prashant Bhushan

Ralegan Siddhi: Anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare on Wednesday strongly condemned the attack on his team member Prashant Bhushan inside his Supreme Court chamber.

He said that it was not correct to take law in hands and resort to violence.

The veteran Gandhian pointed that there were other ways to voice differences and that the attackers should have resorted to legal means if they had a problem with what the senior lawyer said.

Referring to the attackers, who were in their youth, Hazare said that they had hopes from the youth of the country as they felt they would handle it, but if they took law in their own hands, it was unfortunate.

He further said that resorting to such means was not a part of the culture and the tradition of the country.

When asked about the reason that led to the incident, Hazare said that he would ask Bhushan about the exact reason of the violence, adding that he could not get in touch with his other team member, Arvind Kejriwal.

Ego problems remarks: Anna says NYT misquoted

Anna Hazare felt that some of his team members had “ego problems” and he was not getting the “right feedback” on the negotiations during his August agitation for a strong Lokpal, a US newspaper has said.

However, Hazare in a statement, claimed he was misquoted by The New York Times and there was no question of removing Arvind Kejriwal or Prashant Bhushan from the core committee leading the agitation.

In an interview to the paper, Hazare was asked: “Among your allies are Prashant Bhushan, who criticises economic liberalisation, and Arvind Kejriwal, who has been criticised for saying overly harsh things about the prime minister. Do you agree with them, and is there disunity among your senior leaders?”

To this, Hazare was quoted as saying, “I will try to change them. There were some ego problems. From the government side it was Chidambaram and Kapil Sibal. From our side also there were some issues. I was not getting the right feedback, nor was the prime minister. That complicated the issues.

“Later, Vilasrao Deshmukh and another minister got involved and direct contact with the prime minister was established. I have an old relationship with Vilasrao. Then the issues were resolved.”

What Anna Said

Plainspoken and unguarded, Anna Hazare spoke at some length with India Ink contributors Lydia Polgreen and Hari Kumar during their visit to Ralegan Siddhi last week. He expressed surprise that his fast had stirred up such passions, and spoke candidly about the difficulties of managing such a diverse coalition of prominent civil society leaders.

On Wednesday, his comments were picked up by many Indian news outlets, including several who used the remarks as a springboard to speculate about the unity of “Team Anna.” Late Wednesday evening Mr. Hazare released a statement in Hindi claiming he had been misquoted, and accusing India Ink of attempting to break up his civil society movement.

These news reports have made much of Mr. Hazare’s comment that there were “ego problems” among the government’s top people handling the crisis his fast created and among his own team – one article quoting the interview appeared on the front page of the Indian Express today. These tensions, of course, were the subject of reams of newspaper coverage and endless hours of television debate as the agonizing negotiations dragged on. They should surprise no one.

It appears from Mr. Hazare’s statement that the matter of greatest concern is the notion that he planned to “change” his close ally, Arvind Kejriwal, who has harshly criticized the prime minister, and Prashant Bhushan, a tough critic of economic liberalization.

About the two, we quoted him saying:

“I will try to change them. There were some ego problems. From the government side it was Chidambaram and Kapil Sibal. From our side also there were some issues. I was not getting the right feedback, nor was the prime minister. That complicated the issues. Later, Vilasrao Deshmukh and another minister got involved and direct contact with the prime minister was established. I have an old relationship with Vilasrao. Then the issues were resolved.”

He added: “[Mr. Bhushan and Mr. Kejriwal] are good people. I need to change them. I will change them.”

Mr. Hazare’s statement asserted that this implied he was considering ejecting them from his movement. Our understanding, and what he apparently meant, was that he planned to get them to change their thinking.

“This journalist has wrongly interpreted and inserted his own interpretation that I will replace Arvind Kejriwal and Prashant Bhushan,” Mr. Hazare wrote in his statement. “This is a complete lie and I deny that.”

Actually, India Ink did not interpret his remarks at all. From the coverage of his remarks though, it seems that many journalists did.

Team Anna has ego problems, ‘admits’ Hazare

New York/New Delhi: Anna Hazare felt that some of his team members had "ego problems" and he was not getting the "right feedback" on the negotiations during his August agitation for a strong Lokpal, a US newspaper has said.

However, Hazare in a statement, claimed he was misquoted by 'The New York Times' and there was no question of removing Arvind Kejriwal or Prashant Bhushan from the core committee leading the agitation.

In an interview to the paper, Hazare was asked: "Among your allies are Prashant Bhushan, who criticises economic liberalisation, and Arvind Kejriwal, who has been criticised for saying overly harsh things about the prime minister. Do you agree with them, and is there disunity among your senior leaders?"



To this, Hazare was quoted as saying, "I will try to change them. There were some ego problems. From the government side it was Chidambaram and Kapil Sibal. From our side also there were some issues. I was not getting the right feedback, nor was the prime minister. That complicated the issues.

"Later, Vilasrao Deshmukh and another minister got involved and direct contact with the prime minister was established. I have an old relationship with Vilasrao. Then the issues were resolved. They (Bhushan and Kejriwal) are good people. I need to change them. I will change them."

In a statement issued tonight, Hazare said the journalists had asked him whether he agreed with the views of Kejriwal and Bhushan and whether there was any differences among his supporters.

"In reply to the question, I answered that there are no differences. I said that if there are any shortcomings, I will try to find it out and if something comes to the fore, I will try to resolve it. But these journalists have taken the wrong meaning of what I said and wrote that I will remove Kejriwal and Bhushan. This is a lie," he said.

Hazare said he was also opposed to the present economic policies like Bhushan. He also challenged the journalists to present the audio tape where he has said that he will change Bhushan and Kejriwal.

Claiming that there were efforts to divide the civil society, Hazare said there is no question of removing Kejriwal or Bhushan.

In the interview, he said people of character and principle should sit in these positions. "Parliament is the holy temple of democracy. Holy people should go there," he said when pointed out that he was accused of having contempt for democracy.

When asked whether he wanted to be prime minister and get into politics, he said it was "muck for me. I will neither contest elections nor make a party nor go into politics. But in four or five years, if I get good people, I will ask them to fight elections."

On people comparing him with Mahatma Gandhi, he said it was not fair as he was not able to even sit at Gandhi's feet.

When asked whether his fasts were "political blackmail", he said, "What do you mean, blackmail? Am I asking for money?... Because all the people cannot go to Parliament, we have elected politicians to make good laws and to take care of the treasury. If they are not making good laws and not keeping the treasury clean, if I protest against that, it is not blackmail."

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'.

Govt back to dirty tricks, says Team Anna

NEW DELHI: Less than a week after Anna Hazare broke his fast with much fanfare, Team Anna is claiming that government is back to its 'dirty tricks' and is victimizing them for their campaign. Hazare's aide Arvind Kejriwal has received an income tax notice for dues of over Rs 9 lakh, a charge that he has hotly contested, saying it was not the I-T department but "political bosses" that have made them do this.

His colleague, Supreme Court lawyer Prashant Bhushan, linked the renewed urgency behind I-T department's move with MPs' complaints against Kiran Bedi's "ghoonghat act" and the police claim that the CD with a purported conversation between his father Shanti Bhushan and Mulayam Singh Yadav was genuine.

Bhushan said, "This shows that the government has not learnt the lesson. There is a notice against Arvind. Delhi Police has closed the investigations in the CD case saying the disc is genuine. There is also a privilege notice against Bedi. They are back to the dirty tricks department." Bhushan plans to move court against Delhi Police's closure report and will ask for an independent probe by a court appointed special investigative team.

Meanwhile, Kejriwal questioned the timing of the notice coming 11 days ahead of Hazare's fast. Chief commissioner of income tax issued the notice to Kejriwal to clear the dues, claiming that he violated the bond clauses under which he went for study leave for two years. Kejriwal claimed he "did not violate" any bond provision and he resigned from his Indian Revenue Service job after the stipulated three years of rejoining duty after study leave. "It is not the I-T department's decision. They are doing what government is saying. The I-T officials have no role in this notice. They are doing because of the pressure from political bosses," Kejriwal said.

Kejriwal said he had taken study leave on full pay for two years from November 1, 2000 and he rejoined work on November 1, 2002 after signing a bond that he would refund the salary if he resigned or retired or failed to resume duty within three years of his study leave. "I have not violated any provisions. What government is saying is wrong. After over one year of rejoining, I took leave without pay which was sanctioned by my superiors. I worked for RTI. I was not into any wrongdoing. I have not signed any bond that I will not take leave after rejoining," he said.

However, the government has said that unpaid leave can't be recognized as active service and Kejriwal should've worked in the department for three years before resigning. The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) had, in fact, recommended in 2008 that dues against Kejriwal be waived but the Department of Personnel and Training did not agree. In a letter dated April 22, 2008, the government asked the I-T department to "kindly recover pending dues from Shri Kejriwal as per leave rule and furnish a no dues certificate so that his resignation may be submitted for approval of competent authority".

Kejriwal said he had informed the government that he did not have funds to pay off Rs 9.27 lakh dues as he had donated all his savings. Referring to media reports linking his uncle with RSS, he asked what his relatives had to do with the movement.

Willing to discuss things with Government: Team Anna

New Delhi: Members of the Anna Hazare's team on Friday said they are willing to discuss with the Government the Lokpal issue with open mind in case the Government comes up with a better suggestion to fight corruption.

"We will say what we consider is essential for effectively fighting corruption. Now we are willing to have discussion with the Government with open mind if they are willing to suggest a better way of fighting corruption. But we are not willing to compromise on formula, which says leave 20 per cent of corrupt people without any institution, which investigates them for corruption. That kind of compromise is not acceptable to us," said Hazare's close aide Arvind Kejriwal.

Addressing the crowd gathered at the Ramlila Maidan, senior lawyer and social activist Prashant Bhushan said, "At least the Government has to introduce Jan Lokpal Bill...off course Parliament has to decide. But at least Parliament should know what the people of the country want."

Anna Hazare, who has become a symbol of popular outrage over endemic
 corruption in India was due to leave Tihar jail on Friday to carry on his fast
 after a beleaguered government caved in to huge protests across the country.

After arriving at the Ramlila Maidan from Tihar Jail, Anna Hazare on Friday warned the Government that he won't leave the fast venue unless the Jan Lokpal Bill was passed by Parliament. Indicating that his protest fast for a strong anti-corruption legislation will not come to an end any time soon, Hazare exhorted his supporters to carry on the fight with renewed vigour.

"The countrymen should not lose this spirit. This is our fight against corruption. I have lost 3 kg but I am getting energy from my supporters across the country. I have full faith in my country. This government has looted the country. We will now only sit in peace when the corruption gets removed from the country. Till Jan Lokpal Bill is passed, we will not leave Ramlila Maidan," announced Hazare as thousands of his supporters waved the Indian flag and shouted slogans in his favour.

"You should not allow this torch of struggle to be put out whether Anna is alive or not," he told the cheering crowd.

Hazare reached the Ramlila Maidan almost three hours after he walked out of the Tihar Jail at 11:40 AM on Friday morning and was greeted by a huge crowd. The crowd swelled as his convoy passed though some of the important landmarks on New Delhi including Mahatma Gandhi's Samadhi at Rajghat where the 74-year-old Hazare paid homage to the Father of the Nation and then belying his age almost sprinted out with police personnel and his supporters following him.
The procession of supporters was almost 2 km long by the time it reached the Ramlila Maidan from the Tihar Jail.

However, several Hazare supporters who had gathered at the India Gate in anticipation of his visit were left disappointed and drenched in rain as the anti-corruption crusader failed to turn up.
Hazare was checked by a team of doctors led by renowned cardiovascular and cardiothoracic surgeon Dr Naresh Trehan at the Ramlila Maidan. He had also undergone a medical examination on Friday morning with the doctors declaring that he had lost 3 kgs in three days and weighed 68 kg.
Hazare weighed 71 kg when he was arrested and sent to the Tihar Jail. He has been fasting since Tuesday.

Kejriwal said that no politician would be allowed to share the stage with him. He also added that the protest fast could be extended from the scheduled 15 days

"The Government's stance has always been wrong. We still hope they will take the right step. No politician would be seen on the stage. All political parties are welcome to sit on a fast here but no politician would be allowed to sit on the stage. I am Anna's soldier. If people are on the streets for a better law and the Government considers it as an attack on the democracy, then the Government has to learn what democracy is. The (Delhi) Police Commissioner has promised that if there is four day notice, he will extend it (permission to use the venue) by one week," said Kejriwal.

Although the Central Government had buckled under public pressure and Delhi Police had released Hazare on Tuesday evening, but he refused to come out of the jail till his demand for an unconditional fast was accepted.
The negotiations between Team Anna and Delhi Police continued for several hours before the deadlock was broken with the authorities agreeing to almost all the demands put forward by Hazare. He was allowed to hold his protest fast for 15 days, which could be extended, at the Ramlila Maidan. Police had initially given permission to Hazare to hold the fast for three days from August 16 in JP Park with a crowd restriction of 5,000.

Team Hazare has been campaigning for adoption of its Jan Lokpal that will cover Prime Minister, higher judiciary and conduct of MPs inside Parliament besides other provisions.