As Anna Hazare’s fast entered its second day today, the first cracks in his coalition surfaced with criticism over provisions of the Jan Lokpal Bill and the method being used by activists to try and push it through. Karnataka Lokayukta Justice Santosh Hegde (retd), part of the group that finalised the activists’ version of the Bill, acknowledged he had “objections” to certain clauses. “I would not like to say much else. While...

Advocating larger consultations on the Lokpal Bill, National Advisory Council (NAC) members Aruna Roy and Harsh Mander on Tuesday said there was need for wider and more geographically spread discussion than had been done before. The statement came on a day when social activist Anna Hazare went on fast in support of a stringent Lokpal Bill. The NAC working group on transparency, accountability and governance headed by Aruna Roy, which met...

Hazare is now fighting possibly the biggest battle of his life, by launching an indefinite hunger strike in New Delhi to press for an early enactment of a Lokpal Bill, legislation that would create public ombudsmen to investigate corruption charges against public servants Anna Hazare is a veteran of many battles—as a former soldier and then as a social activist who has forced at least half a dozen Maharashtra ministers to...

Social activist Anna Hazare's hunger strike in New Delhi demanding changes in the anti-corruption Lokpal Bill entered the second day on Wednesday. The anti-corruption campaign began has now been joined by thousands of people with more than 150 people joining Hazare’s fast-onto-death at the Jantar Mantar. Almost 5,000 people from all walks of life have gathered at Jantar Mantar to show their support for Hazare. Social activists and people in 400...

Social activist Anna Hazare, who entered the second day of his indefinite fast, on Wednesday slammed the Congress for "misleading" the people by dubbing his agitation as unnecessary and premature. 72-year-old Hazare, who is demanding enactment of an anti-corruption bill to give wider powers to the Ombudsman, said, "The party's (Congress) statement is misleading people. Why is this agitation unnecessary and how is it premature? 42 years the nation has been...