Anna Hazare strongly opposes parliamentary panel's 'weak' Lokpal Bill draft

Ralegan Siddhi, Dec 9: Veteran social activist Anna Hazare today strongly lashed out at the Central government and Parliamentary Standing Committee for 'betraying' the people by drafting a 'weak' Lokpal Bill.

Addressing mediapersons here, Hazare said: "The issues and provisions that appear in the draft released by the Standing Committee are same as those in the government version of the Lokpal Bill.

  "The Standing Committee's draft mirrors what has already been said by the government. This proves that the Standing Committee has betrayed and misled the people. The Standing Committee's draft will not in any way help eliminate corruption from this country," he added.

Hazare further questioned the need to bring out a 'weak' draft.

"The government had always promised to frame a strong anti-corruption legislation, but it has come up with this weak draft. Who is the brain behind this tactic? The Prime Minister had sent me a letter assuring me on the three main conditions laid down by us," he said.

"A resolution was also passed in the Parliament. This resolution was also forwarded to the standing committee by Pranab Mukherjee himself. Now, the Standing Committee says we never received that document. Is it a government or a trader's shop?" he added.

He also said that the government must frame a legislation that envisages a corruption free India.

"There is no use in bringing out a weak draft just for show off. Neither would it help national interest nor would it help eliminate corruption. Till the time corruption remains prevalent, the country cannot progress. Can't the government see that out of a rupee, not even ten paisa is reaching the rural areas? How will this country progress? Due to graft, even ten paisa cannot reach the villages out of a rupee, money from development funds is siphoned off, poor people are suffering and inflation is at its peak. Is the government not aware of this?" he said.

Hazare had earlier said that he would stage a one-day strike in New Delhi on December 11, if the tabled anti-graft bill reflected a weak institution of Lokpal.

The Bill is seen as a weapon to root out corruption and nepotism from the government machinery and in public life.

The proposed Bill envisages the setting up of a national anti-corruption watchdog to check financial mismanagement and corrupt practices that have deeply pervaded several democratic and civic institutions of India.

Anna blames Rahul Gandhi for parliamentary committee's Lokpal report

Ralegan Siddhi/New Delhi:  Anna Hazare today attacked the Parliamentary Standing Committee report on Lokpal, saying it was fooling people while his team questioned its "credibility" saying it had the support of only 12 MPs.

He alleged the report will not help in any way to fight corruption and repeated his charge that Rahul Gandhi was behind the recommendations of the panel.

"The issues remain the same. This means the Standing Committee has fooled the public. Their report does not help in fighting corruption," he told reporters in Ralegan Siddhi.

Renewing his demand for inclusion of the lower bureaucracy under the ambit of Lokpal, Hazare said government wants to bring Group C and D employees under Central Vigilance Commission (CVC). "The CVC is under government, it will do what the government says. Then what is the point," he said.

He also objected to the Standing Committee's recommendation to keep MPs' conduct inside Parliament out of the ombudsman's ambit asking "why are they scared".

"Even a school boy would know that it is a trick," he said.

His colleagues in Delhi, meanwhile, attacked the Parliamentary Standing Committee questioning the credibility of its report.

"Standing Committee had 30 members. Two never attended. Sixteen dissented. So this report is supported by the balance 12. Seven are from the Congress, Lalu Prasad Yadav, Amar Singh and rest from Mayawati's BSP. So much for the credibility of this report," prominent Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal said.

However, panel chairman Abhishek Singhvi had earlier said that a dissent note by an MP does not mean that he or she is against the entire report and they may be expressing their reservations against one or more points.

Hazare, who will be fasting on Sunday in protest against the exclusion of his key demands like bringing the lower bureaucracy under Lokpal, said the government was saying from the beginning that they will bring a strong Lokpal Bill but they have brought a very weak bill.

"Who is behind this? The Prime Minister has written to me.

Pranab Mukherjee wrote to the Standing Committee that Parliament has passed a resolution. But the Standing Committee says it has not received any communication. Is this a government or a trader's shop?" he said.

However, the Standing Committee report made public today clearly mentions that the panel was in the know of the Parliament resolution. "...There was a detailed discussion on the statement of the Minister of Finance on the issues relating to the setting up of the Lokpal in both the Houses of Parliament on the 27th August, 2011," it said.

Hazare said he trusts Parliament but asserted that a "show-off" draft will not help things.

Team Anna also said they will oppose "tooth and nail" the Standing Committee proposals on the ombudsman which they claimed is taking the anti-corruption systems in the country two steps backward.

Claiming that the committee recommendations, if implemented, would increase corruption and disintegrate CBI's functioning, Kejriwal said, "This report takes our anti- corruption systems two steps back. We must oppose this report tooth and nail".

Lawyer Prashant Bhushan said the proposals were likely to increase corruption rather than being able to control it.

Activist Kiran Bedi said, "Damage is done by keeping CBI's investigation powers out of Lokpal - whole reason for the Lokpal? Will Parliament undo?"

Bedi said the fears about diluting the Lokpal were not unfounded.

Team Anna's awareness campaign with assembly in sight

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

BOX

ANNA BRIGADE

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

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

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

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

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

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

IAC vehicle rally to be held on Dec 11

The Mumbai chapter of India Against Corruption (IAC) has organised a vehicle rally from Dadar’s Shivaji Park to Azad Maidan on December 11 to support social activist Anna Hazare’s daylong fast in Delhi.

While Hazare will observe a one-day fast at Jantar Mantar, Delhi, his supporters in the city will also observe the token fast.

The vehicle rally will begin at 10.30am. It will start at Dadar and will snake through through BDD Chawl, Worli, Worli Naka, Haji Ali, Tardeo, Nana Chowk, JSS Road, Opera House, Metro before culminating at Azad Maidan. A registration desk has also been set up by the IAC at all railway stations to reach out to supporters.

“We have received support from all vehicle associations who will lend their vehicles for the rally. The vehicles will accommodate Lokpal supporters. This protest rally is being to organised to inform the government that if the Jan Lokpal Bill is not passed in the current parliamentary session, then there will be a bigger country-wide agitation,” said Mayank Gandhi, IAC’s Mumbai coordinator. Various cyclists and vehicle groups have lent their support to the event.

“Corruption is affecting our business and therefore all bus operators want the Lokpal to be instituted. We are therefore sending yellow school buses for the rally,” said Anil Garg, president, School Bus Owners’ Association.

Censoring social media antisocial

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Digviojaya's latest googly:'Anna BJP's man for President?'

Agra:  Digvijaya Singh has stirred another controversy, this time again for his remarks on anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare. The senior Congress leader has said he has "heard that BJP has told Anna Hazare that he could be the all-party candidate for the 2012 President's election."

Digvijaya Singh was speaking in Agra. His remarks came after Team Anna launched a blistering attack on the Congress ahead of the October 13 Lok Sabha bypoll in Hisar, asking voters to inflict a "historic defeat" on the party for not bringing the Jan Lokpal Bill.

"I don't know how far it is true, but I have heard that BJP has told Anna Hazare that he could be the all-party candidate for the 2012 President's election. It is for Anna Hazare to tell us if anything like this has been proposed to him since he always says that he is not a political person," Digvijaya Singh said.

Lashing out at Team Anna for asking people to vote against Congress, the party General Secretary had earlier said, "If Anna Hazare wants to get into politics, he should form his own party".


Digvijaya also referred to an RSS statement claiming that it was part of Anna Hazare's movement. "If Anna Hazare demanded that I should be sent to a mental asylum when I alleged the RSS hand...now that RSS itself is saying that they supported Anna Hazare...then now Anna should also accompany me to the mental asylum. Check-ups should be done on both of us."

Gandhian activist Anna had dismissed the RSS claim saying, "Nobody approached me. Not a single RSS worker met me or approached me. How are they saying this? I don't know."

Urging voters to inflict "historic defeat" on Congress in Hisar, Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal said yesterday that Anna has sat on a fast for the Jan Lokpal Bill twice, but the Congress-led UPA government was yet to bring it in Parliament.

"You will have to inflict a historic defeat on the Congress. If you defeat the party (in the bypoll), this will be Anna's victory," he told the gathering.

Alleging that the Congress and corruption were synonymous, Mr Kejriwal asked people to defeat corrupt forces.

He also claimed that Congress was afraid to bring the Jan Lokpal Bill as it fears "half of its own ministers will land up in jail".

He said if the bill is not passed soon, Team Anna would intensify its campaign against the Congress in the five poll-bound states including Uttar Pradesh.

Mr Kejriwal has, however, clarified that Team Anna has no intention to enter party politics. "Some people are saying we are doing politics. We have been saying right since the very beginning that we are doing politics, but we are not doing party politics or election politics. We are into the politics of people. We want the people of this country to have power. They are into the politics of corruption and lies; we are into politics of truth and people," he said.

Anna to miss UP leg of Jan Yatra

Anti-graft crusader Anna Hazare will not join his team during the first phase of the ‘Jan Yatra’ that they are going to launch in Uttar Pradesh on October 16.

The week-long yatra will pass through seven districts of the state before concluding on October 22.

“Because of his busy schedule and other commitments, Anna Hazare’s programme has changed. He will not be in the yatra in UP and other team members will lead the campaign here,” said Sanjay Singh, member of the India Against Corruption’s national core committee from UP, on Friday.

The yatra will start with a public meeting in Aligarh on October 16. The next day, IAC members will address a public meeting in Banda where they will also read out a message from Anna Hazare for the people of Bundelkhand.

Then the team will move to Badarka village in Unnao, which is birthplace of freedom fighter Chandra Shekhar Azad. They will pay tribute to Azad there on October 18. Later, the same day, they will reach Lucknow to address a gathering of the youth at Jhulelal park. The yatra will be in Gorakhpur on October 19, Meerut on October 21 and Agra on October 22.

During the yatra, the IAC will target the youth. Public meetings will be held near the universities and members of the national core committee, mainly Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, Kumar Vishwas and Sanjay Singh, will address these. Kiran Bedi and Prashant Bhusan would also join the yatra at some places, but their schedule has not been finalised.

“During the yatra, youths would be appealed to not vote for political parties which do not support the Jan Lokpal Bill in the upcoming winter session of the Parliament. As UP leads in corruption and criminalisation, we are beginning the yatra from here,” said Sanjay Singh.

He said since people of Banda faced several problems, “Anna Hazare had personally written a message which will be read out in Banda on October 17.”

The IAC has asked its workers in the seven districts where the yatra will pass in UP to seek prior permission from the district administrations for public meetings.

City witnesses more protests in support of Anna

VARANASI: The city continued to witness dharnas, processions and candlelight marches in support of Anna Hazare's anti-corruption campaign in the city on Wednesday.

It was the 9th day of Anna's fast.

For the well-being of Anna, the vedic students of Juna Akhada performed a havan-pujan in Baijnatha locality. Traders associated with the Uttar Pradesh Yuva Udyog Vyapar Mandal, while extending support to the Jan Lokpal Bill, performed the ritual of 'dugdhabhishek' of Ganga at Dasaswamedh Ghat. The traders of Luxa Vyapar Mandal also took out a procession in support of Anna.

Meanwhile, responding to the call of Anna, the local residents staged demonstrations and gheraoed the residence of Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Jyotsana Srivastava in Shivaji Nagar colony on Wednesday.

The processions were also carried out by different organisations and groups in various localities.

The newspaper hawkers also came forward in support of Anna by carrying out a procession in Englishiya Line locality. The journalists associated with the Uttar Pradesh Patrakar Parishad staged a dharna in Asi locality in support of anti-corruption campaign.

On the other hand local sports persons held a rally in Sigra stadium to express their support to Anna.

While the volunteers of India Against Corruption ( IAC) continued their dharna at the district headquarters, the girl students of UP College also joined them on Wednesday. The people associated with the Bharat Vikash Parishad held a signature campaign at Bharat Mata Mandir. Similar events were also held in Lanka area by students and local residents.

The people of Christian community also hit the streets in support of Anna and carried out a procession in Sigra area.

The priests of different churches joined the demonstration.

Addressing a gathering, they said that every individual should try his best to end corruption from the society. Describing corruption as a dreaded cancer, they said that every citizens of the country wants a corruption-free society. The medical professionals associated with the Indian Medical Association (IMA) and chartered accountants also supported the Anna's campaign against corruption.

The city has been witnessing protests and rallies since the beginning of Anna's movement.
The Anna wave is not limited to urban areas only, but is also spreading in to rural pockets of the region.

People living in villages and small towns are also carrying out processions in support of Anna. Braving showers, a group of youths carried out a procession in support of Anna in rural area of Mohamadabad in Ghazipur district on Tuesday.