Anna Hazare succeeded because he tapped into a deeply felt anger against corruption and systemic gang-up. But the campaign must define itself ideologically or risk appropriation by right-wing usurpers. A future historian attempting to document the Anna Hazare fast at the Capital's Jantar Mantar will likely confront contrasting images: of multitudes enthused and galvanised by one elder citizen's crusading zeal, of Mr. Hazare's almost single-handed ability, within days, to bring the...
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Jan Lokpal bill: addressing concerns by Prashant Bhushan
The draft bill seeks to create an institution that will be independent of those it seeks to police, and will have powers to investigate and prosecute all public servants, and others found guilty of corrupting them. A number of commentators have raised issues about the provisions in the draft of the Jan Lokpal Bill. They have asked whether it would be an effective instrument to check corruption. They have pointed to...
More »2G scam: Niira Radia Tapes get a new, hawala twist by Ritu Sarin
The Income Tax Department has handed over to the CBI tapes of a fresh set of an estimated 15,000 conversations of intercepted telephone calls which could widen the scope of the agency’s probe in the 2G scam and spell trouble for corporate lobbyist Niira Radia. The 15,000 conversations involve two alleged Delhi-based hawala dealers Anil Bansal and R S Bansal whose phones were put on surveillance along with those of Radia...
More »CBI to file 80,000-page charge sheet against Raja, others on April 2
The Central Bureau of Investigation on Tuesday informed the Supreme Court that it would file an 80,000-page charge sheet in the 2G spectrum allocation scam against the former Communications Minister A. Raja, four former Telecom officials and two companies on April 2. It was originally proposed to be filed on March 31. Senior counsel K.K. Venugopal told a Bench of Justices G.S. Singhvi and A.K. Ganguly that the agency was still...
More »PAC summons Radia, Ratan Tata
Representatives of Swan Telecom, Reliance, Airtel and Unitech also told to appear before it The Public Accounts Committee (PAC), headed by Murli Manohar Joshi, has summoned corporate lobbyist Niira Radia and Tata Group Chairman Ratan Tata for questioning on April 4 on purported irregularities in the grant of telecom licences. The PAC has also asked representatives of Swan Telecom, Reliance, Airtel and Unitech to appear before it. A Tata spokesperson said Mr....
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