Anna Hazare, team to meet in Delhi

NEW DELHI: Veteran social activist Anna Hazare will attend a core committee meeting of Team Anna on Monday to discuss the future strategy of his fight against corruption.
" We will decide the strategy for our fight against corruption, basically how to carry it forward now. We will discuss these issues and there will be two more meetings, after everything is finalized. I would go out again in the entire country and will start another fight against corruption," Hazare told media.

Earlier on February 24, he had threatened to start another movement for the passage of a strong ombudsman bill to combat graft in the country, before the national polls, which are scheduled to take place in 2014.

Hazare has been at loggerheads with the government over the Ombudsman Bill, for which the Gandhian activist went on hunger strikes in April, August and December last year.

Meanwhile, commenting on the exit polls conducted by three major television channels, in which they claimed that the regional Samajwadi Party would emerge as the winner in Uttar Pradesh, Hazare said the decision of the people must be respected.

See, this is a democracy. We have to accept the decision of the public. But, whoever comes has to think about the future of the country," Hazare added.

Problems galore for Anna and his team

New Delhi: This seems to be a weekend fraught with problems for Anna and his team as the anti-corruption crusader is brought down by a severe bout of cold and a case is filed against his team for allegedly insulting the tricolour.

Ahead of his three-day fast in Ralegan Siddhi from December 27 to protest against a "weak" Lokpal Bill, Anna Hazare has caught cold but his associates say it is no major cause for concern.

"Anna has cough and cold. However, there is no reason to worry. He is taking medicines. There is no cause for concern," Hazare's aide Suresh Pathare told reporters.

Meanwhile, Delhi Police was pulled up by a court on Saturday for its failure to take a categorical stand on a complaint accusing Anna and his team members of insulting the tricolour during their anti-graft protest in August.
"Why is it taking so much of time? Tell me an exact date on which you will file the report," Metropolitan Magistrate Tyagita Singh said, while directing the police to file its report on the complaint expeditiously.
The police, which had earlier said it had sought the legal opinion on the complaint from its prosecution branch, said on Saturday "opinion received from the prosecution branch in the matter was not clear whether the offence was made out or not."

"Therefore, the matter was again referred to the prosecution branch for specific opinion and further action will be taken upon receipt of the opinion," the police said.

"The investigating officer has not filed the status report till date and submitted that more time is required as report has been sent to the prosecution branch for legal opinion. Matter be expedited. File report as soon as possible," the court ordered.

The complaint had been filed by advocate Ravinder Kumar seeking registration of an FIR against Hazare, Kiran Bedi, Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and six others for allegedly showing disrespect to the Tricolour during their anti-graft
demonstration.

He had also annexed his complaint with pictures showing Kiran Bedi, a key member of Team Anna, waving a torn tricolour and other protesters demeaning the national flag by mishandling it and even painting it on their bodies.

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.

No 'understanding' with Govt on Lokpal: BJP

New Delhi: The BJP on Wednesday refuted suggestions it had an "understanding" with the government on the Lokpal Bill, insisting the party will stick to the dissent notes it had submitted to the Parliamentary panel dealing with the Bill and also move amendments where it does not agree.

Though senior BJP leaders maintained they were unaware of the contents of the Lokpal Bill and can react only when the copy of the proposed legislation is circulated to them, the party said it will not dilute its stand.
"There is no understanding with the government on the Lokpal Bill. Only when the draft is circulated will it be possible for us to study it and comment on it. We will try to give a preliminary reaction tomorrow," Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley said.

He said BJP has already stated its position on the Lokpal in the dissent notes it gave to the Standing Committee on Law and Justice which was dealing with the existing Lokpal Bill. BJP members in the Committee had given 18 dissent notes.

The BJP leader insisted that his party had reacted "at times even harshly" to the government Lokpal draft, adding that the yardstick for this is the dissent note.

Jaitley maintained that what has appeared in the newspapers about the "basic features" of new Lokpal Bill is "a matter of concern".

"Like in the appointment of Lokpal the influence of the government is overarching, if the newspaper reports are true. The independence and autonomy of the CBI is not there; there is government control. There are several other questions on which it is possible to make comments only after seeing the whole draft," Jaitley said.

The BJP also maintained that the extension of winter session of Parliament was not a priority area for the party and it was only concerned about the content of the law which should be "reasonable".

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.

Lokpal: endgame near despite Anna protest?

New Delhi: As the deadline of another agitation by Anna Hazare for a strong Lokpal Bill approaches, the UPA has decided to withdraw the old draft and introduce a new one in Parliament even though several smaller parties have accused the Government of trying to rush though the proposed anti-corruption legislation.
Anna has threatened to go on hunger strike from December 27 if Parliament fails to pass a strong Lokpal Bill, but there is no unanimity among the different parties on the proposed Bill.

The winter session of Parliament, which was scheduled to end on December 22, has been extended by three days from December 27 to discuss Lokpal Bill and other legislations.

The Lokpal bill is expected to be introduced in the Lok Sabha on Thursday and would be taken up for discussion when Parliament reconvenes on December 27 after a four-day Christmas break.

Even as UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi addressed Congress MPs and assured them that the government bend further to please Team Anna and the Opposition, the UPA withdrew the old bill and decided to introduce a new draft. The BJP has given its nod to this proposal.

She told her party colleagues that the Government won't go down without a fight on the Lokpal Bill and will ensure that it doesn't meet the same fate as the Women's Reservation Bill.

She also reiterated that the Government and the party were united on the issue and hit out at the Opposition in general and the BJP in particular for trying to derail the Lokpal Bill.

"The Lokpal Bill has been cleared by the Cabinet. The Opposition will have lots of things to say. They should accept suggestions of Government. Team Anna should also accept it. The Opposition cannot reconcile to the fact that they lost (the 2009 Lok Sabha elections). The party and Government support each other, there is no rift between the party and Government," said Sonia.

In another major development, several MPs cutting across party lines have come down heavily on both the Lokpal Bill cleared by the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance Cabinet and anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare.

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad, Samajwadi Party Chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Sitaram Yechury have questioned the UPA Government's intention while making it clear that Parliament will not rush through the anti-corruption legislation in a hurry to please Hazare and his associates.

Lalu questioned the need for rushing though the legislation and said that a Bill can be passed after following a due process of Parliament.

"No one can dictate terms to us. Parliament has to follow due process. It is an important legislation. MPs may want to move amendments. How can we rush through it?" questioned Lalu.

Mulayam Singh Yadav warned the government that the proposed legislation would give 'all powers' to the police.

"Lokpal will not be in your hands. It will go to the hands of police. Nothing can be done then against the police," he said and apparently referred to Anna Hazare as he asked whether all this could be done "under pressure of one man".

He said his party will oppose as much as it can. "These powers will go to the police, they will not respect us (MPs). Superintendents of Police and District

Magistrates will send us to jail," Yadav said.

Mayawati-led Bhaujan Samaj Party is also against rushing through the Bill while the Shiv Sena has opposed the concept of a Lokpal completely. The BJP and Biju Janata Dal have also opposed the Government version, but want an early passage of the Bill.

The BJP is yet to reveal its strategy but it has said that the party is ready for a discussion on the Bill any day. It is likely to raise objections on the procedure of the appointment of the Lokpal panel.

BJP leader Arun Jaitely said, "Primary reports on draft are matter of concern. It doesn't measure to our expectation. Selection of Lokpal and independence of CBI is a major concern."

However, Keeping up the heat, Team Anna on Wednesday attacked the government for keeping CBI out of Lokpal's ambit, saying it 'totally destroys' the anti-corruption mechanism in the country by not giving an investigating arm to the ombudsman.

"If the CBI is outside, then how will the Lokpal be strong? This system will save corrupt politicians. If CBI comes under Lokpal then (Home Minister) P Chidambaram will be in jail. You are saving corrupt politicians and say it is a strong Lokpal," Anna said.

"It is cheating people who will teach them a lesson," he said adding he will campaign against the UPA in Uttar Pradesh and other four states going to polls early next year.

Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal said the new bill will do "more harm than doing good" to the existing anti-graft machinery.

Another Team Anna member Justice Santosh Hegde said there was some "ego problem" with government in accepting certain suggestions in Jan Lokpal bill while Kiran Bedi claimed that the agency will remain under government control till immunity is given for past acts of corruption by political parties.

"The Lokpal Bill will not have even investigating powers. You will complain to Lokpal but it cannot investigate. What Lokpal is the government setting up? It means the government is cheating people," Kejriwal said.

Hegde said with CBI out of Lokpal's control, what it does will be like departmental enquiry. "This is certainly unacceptable," he said.

Bedi said on micro-blogging site Twitter, "The bill is not path breaking but breaking the path. Thank you Sonia G."

"It appears till a provision for immunity is guaranteed for past acts of corruption, political parties will ensure CBI remains in government control," she said, adding it was now 'Save CBI' campaign.

The government may find it difficult to pass the Lokpal Bill in the Parliament if the Opposition continue to oppose it. The government has a majority in Lok Sabha but the Opposition can push for amendments in Rajya Sabha.

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 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?"

Detractors to protest against Anna Hazare

NEW DELHI: Anna Hazare may come face to face with his detractors at Jantar Mantar on December 11 when he sits on a fast for a strong Lokpal bill, with his former blogger and others planning to organise a three-day protest raising questions against his methods.

His former blogger Raju Parulekar today said youth from various parts of the country will hold a three-day protest at Jantar Mantar from December 10 against Hazare and his supporters.

Hazare will sit on a fast at Jantar Mantar on December 11 to protest against alleged dilution of provisions of Lokpal bill.

"The activists will come face to face with Hazare. They will raise questions about 'goons-oriented' activism. They will ask Hazare about his views on how Kiran Bedi can continue in his team when a case has been registered against her.

"They will ask him whether they will apply the same yardstick to ministers in a similar situation. They will also ask about financial dealings of Arvind Kejriwal," Parulekar, who fell out with Hazare over restructuring of his team, told PTI.

However, he said he will not attend the three-day protest but will be part of the protest beginning December 23 when activists will gherao the residences of Team Anna members Arvind Kejriwal and Prashant Bhushan.

Team Anna invites netas for Lokpal debate

New Delhi: Team Anna today invited leaders of all parties to Jantar Mantar on December 11, when Anna Hazare plans to sit on a day-long fast, to put their views on Lokpal Bill, a deviation from its stand on previous occasions when it did not allow politicians to share its platform.

"December 11th, Jantar Mantar debate with no adjournments on Lokpal. Come, listen, ask questions and clarify doubts. Political representatives are invited to speak," activist Kiran Bedi tweeted.

A Team Anna spokesperson said formal invites are being sent to parties.

Hazare will be sitting on a day-long protest demanding a strong Lokpal Bill.

In the past, Hazare had said that he will not invite any politicians to his fast. He had said they can come and sit with protesters but cannot share dais or make speeches.

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.

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.

Anna Hazare inciting people on FDI: Swami Agnivesh

JAIPUR: Activist Swami Agnivesh on Saturday criticized Team Anna for provoking people against the Union Cabinet's decision to allow foreign direct investment (FDI) in retail. At a school function at Jaipur, he said Anna Hazare  and his team were making "factually incorrect and irresponsible statements".

"Statements with factual mistakes are preventing people from engaging in a healthy debate. People opposing FDI should discuss rather than play around with the issue to gain mileage," said Agnivesh.

Agnivesh was not against 51% FDI in retail and for single-brand stores but wanted the farmers' rights to be protected. The government should assure that at least 45% of their products are purchased from farmers, he said.

About returning to Team Anna, he said, "Team Anna is a derogatory word. I don't recognize them. Crediting them for revolution is undermining the power of the common man. They may be face of a movement but it's a revolution by the people." Without naming Hazare, he warned against one-man worship.

He did not support Anna's fresh protests against the Lokpal Bill. "I don't think there is any need for protests when the Union government is working on a strong Jan Lokpal Bill ," said Agnivesh.

He said the Lokpal Bill proposed by the parliamentary panel is better and effective than the one drafted by Team Anna. He accused political parties for opening a front against the FDI.

"They are holding protests claiming that multinational companies will capture our economy. These are baseless arguments in a globalized economy," he said.

Anna Hazare losing his credibility: Digvijaya

New Delhi: Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Friday fired a fresh salvo at Team Anna saying Anna Hazare was losing his credibility with his conflicting utterances on the Lokpal issue and claimed his campaign against party in Uttar Pradesh would have "zero" impact.

"Anna is losing his credibility gradually by making such statements. One day he says that defeat Congress. The second day he says I am not against any party but against corrupt candidate. Next days he says, I am going to campaign against the Congress party. He should make up his mind first and think before he says something," Singh told reporters.

Digvijaya Singh said that Hazare should sit back silently and wait till the
 Winter session.

He was reacting to Hazare's declaration on Friday that he would campaign against Congress in five states where Assembly elections are due next year if the UPA government fails to get the Jan Lokpal Bill passed in the Winter Session of Parliament.

"It will have zero impact in UP," said Singh when asked how much Team Anna's campaign could affect Congress in the state.

He said that Hazare should sit back silently and wait till the Winter session, when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, himself, had assured him to bring the bill in this session.

Singh also took a jibe at Arvind Kejriwal over his letter to the Prime Minister on returning his service dues and said the activist's efforts to seek "martyrdom" would not succeed.

"Kejriwal is presenting this matter in a way that injustice was meted out to him. He filled up the bond form, it was he, who did not fulfill its conditions....There is no question of any martyrdom in this, which he is unnecessarilty trying to create around. This halo will not last," Singh said.

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."

Anna reaches Delhi; may end vow of silence

New Delhi: Anna Hazare on Thursday night reached Delhi to attend a meeting of the Standing Committee on the issue of the Lokpal Bill on Friday, ahead of which he is expected to end his 'maun vrat' (vow of silence) observed for the past 19 days.

Hazare will go to Rajghat on Friday morning and after paying tributes to Mahatma Gandhi, he is expected to break his 'maun vrat', Team Anna sources said.

Hazare will go to Rajghat on Friday morning and after paying tributes to
 Mahatma, he is expected to break his silence.

Hazare, who had threatened to launch another hungerstrike if a strong Lokpal Bill is not passed in Parliament's Winter Session, left his village Ralegan Siddhi this afternoon and reached Delhi at 8:40 pm. He will stay at Maharashtra Sadan.

The 74-year-old activist, who is on 'maun vrat' since October 16, will attend the meeting of the Standing Committee on Lokpal Bill along with other team members on Friday, the third such meeting.

The Team had met the Committee this evening as also after Hazare undertook a 13-day fast in August demanding that the Jan Lokpal Bill be passed in the Monsoon Session of Parliament.

Soon after the Lokpal Bill was referred to the Committee, Hazare and his associates had deposed before the panel saying it should ask the Government to withdraw the Lokpal Bill in its present form as it would "encourage corruption".

Team Anna Hazare member Arvind Kejriwal returns 9 lakh dues to government

NEW DELHI: Arvind Kejriwal today returned over Rs nine lakh in dues to settle the issue of his resignation from the IRS, insisting that he was doing so in protest and it does not mean he has accepted any mistake.

Kejriwal sent a cheque of Rs 9,27,787 along with a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, asking him not to "trouble" his six friends, including Magsaysay winner Harish Hande, who had given him an interest-free loan to settle his dues.

The 43-year-old activist's decision to settle the dues is seen as an attempt by the Team Anna member to blunt attacks from detractors.

Government has claimed that he had violated bond rules by quitting the service before completing three years of service after going on a study leave on full pay. However, Kejriwal said he took non-paid leave and quit the service after serving bond conditions.

In his letter to Singh, he said, "I am enclosing a cheque for Rs 9,27,787. This does not mean that I have accepted the mistake. When I don't know what was the mistake I committed, then there is no question of accepting it.

"I am returning the dues in protest. I appeal to you to instruct the Finance Ministry to accept my resignation. Once my resignation is accepted, I retain my right to approach the court to reclaim the dues," he said in the four-page letter.

Claiming that he did not have any savings and he took loans from six of his friends to pay dues, he said many people offered him the money but he did not take it as it may be construed as "misusing" the anti-corruption movement.

"That is why I took loan from only those people whom I know for years. The whole government machinery is after Team Anna. I appeal to you with folded hands that your government should not trouble those people who have given me loan," he said.

Shanti Bhushan only Team Anna member to donate money

NEW DELHI: Former law minister Shanti Bhushan is the only prominent Team Anna member who has donated money to the anti-corruption movement led by Anna Hazare, giving Rs four lakh from his pocket.

Bhushan's Rs four lakh is part of over Rs 2.51 crore collected as donations by Team Anna in the six months starting from April one this year, according to the list of donors provided by India Against Corruption.

The highest donation during the period came from Sitaram Jindal of Jindal Aluminium Ltd who gave Rs 25 lakh to the Hazare agitation.

According to Team Anna, a total of 27,505 people, including 25,023 during Ramlila agitation, contributed financially to the anti-corruption movement with over 400 donating more than Rs 10,000 in the past six months.

The donations of less than Rs 10,000 through online transfer or cheque or cash were Rs 13.64 lakh.

They said Rs 26,848 were received through money orders during Ramlila agitation while Rs 69,411 were deposited at different branches across the country.

Out of the Rs 2.94 crore it collected during the six months, they have decided to return Rs 42.55 lakh to donors who "did not provide their complete details and their sources of funding", leaving Rs 2.51 crore with them.

The Public Cause Research Foundation (PCRF), the Secretariat for the movement, made public its audit report for six months starting April one following allegations of financial misconduct against activist Arvind Kejriwal.

"It has been heart warming to note that 23,138 contributions were of Rs 1,000 or less. It has been humbling and moving to note that people with very limited resources contributed with sums like Rs 1, Rs 2 and Rs 5 of their hard earned money," the team said.

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.

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."