The Jan Lokpal Bill, Anna Hazare, and Baba Ramdev II

[sum]

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday agreed to bring a Constitution amendment bill for reservation to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in promotions in government jobs while responding to vociferous uproar in both Houses of Parliament on Thursday.

Dr Singh took the decision in an impromptu meeting with Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati [ Images ] and other MPs after the second 15-minute adjournment of the Rajya Sabha after her colleagues stormed into the well of the House.

And the backward march of this nation continues

[Sushupti]

Could be one reason why Anna disbanded TA.

UPA finds a 'foreign' way to fix Anna & Co

Can foreign funding be used to sponsor domestic agitations in India? Team Anna may have been disbanded but its worries are far from over. With a PIL raising this issue in connection with alleged grants made by Ford Foundation to Team Anna, the Home Ministry is pursuing an investigation into allegations that the anti-graft agitation was funded by foreign agencies.

It is learnt that this is no flippant probe and the Ministry is quite serious about the investigation.

http://daily.bhaskar.com/article/NAT-TO ... 37721.html

[Pranay]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/indi ... 461994.cms

After sharing dais with Anna Hazare, former Army chief VK Singh today joined yoga guru Ramdev's protest here, dubbing the government as a "property dealer" which takes over farmers' land in the name of development.

Singh participation in the protests came two months after he retired from service during which he had taken on the government on his age issue.

Earlier this month, Singh had appeared at Jantar Mantar here on the last day of Hazare's fast. He was also one of the signatories to an appeal to Hazare asking him call off his fast and work towards a political alternative.

Addressing the gathering at Ramdev's protest here this afternoon on black money and Lokpal issue, he claimed that over two lakh farmers had committed suicide since 1995 and accused the government of taking over their land in the name of development.

"Problems of farmers will have to be taken to the forefront of this movement ... The government is taking land from farmers in the name of development. The government is working as a property dealer," he said addressing the crowd which was predominantly from the rural areas.

The former Army chief alleged that a scam was being reported everyday and value of each scam was higher than the previous one. "What we want is complete all round development. Money shouldn't be distributed among just 4-5 per cent of the people only," he said.

Noting that there was a need to stand firm in the agitation, he said if corruption is not stopped, one has nowhere to go and emphasized the need for "some tough action".

Criticizing the policies adopted by the government, he said it is government's duty to work for welfare of people.

"But after liberalization, you can get a pizza within half-an-hour but you won't get an ambulance in more than two hours. You can get a bottle of water in Rs 15 but you won't get clean drinking water from the tap," he said.

"Only 5-7 per cent of the population is benefited. Rest are left behind. Whatever money comes, it is held by 4-5 per cent," he said.

[Gaurav_S]

ToI flash. Baba to sit infront of parliament. Jai Ho onleee..

[Katare]

I fear it's all over, congress wins again!

[Narad]

SS: The fight is between 'Rome' and 'Om'.

[chaanakya]

And where is Anna? In Rome or Om?

[RoyG]

Neither wants him.

[negi]

And where is Anna? In Rome or Om?

Utopia .

[prahaar]

The fact that TA was compromised (and not serious about tackling corruption) is evidently clear when one looks at the support BR has, it would have made their platform much more credible. BR supporters are not iPhone weilding iPad blogging FBers, but looking at FB noise, BR has developed presence there as well. And based on color coding they are called Internet Hindus.

[RoyG]

I honestly don't think any party is seriously thinking about bringing the black money back overtly. Just too many big players (big dogs in ruling establishment and opposition, terrorists, nation states, mafias, arms dealers, intelligence services, etc). This is why the movement has turned into an anti-congress one. They will just try to oust the congress and let them get away scott free and then reboot and reform the system. Early elections are looking increasingly likely given the the communal flare ups, economy, corruption, etc. OMvsRome on twitter is spreading like wildfire.

[chaanakya]

This was the scene for Congress when BR started his first steps against corruption. Team Anna stepped in and made the whole thing as Lokpal agenda. Congress survived by talking about lokpal and public attention was diverted to discuss nitty grity of Lokpal Act. Nothing came of that lokpal except that Congress survived. Again corruption is in focus but much time has lost.

[vijayk]

http://www.firstpost.com/india/ramdev-p ... 16793.html
The CON DOGS are doing every thing to help CON DIEnasty. But they know that Baba can bring in the focus and crowds where as Team Anna could not do without the help of RSS and BR.

Give it to the Baba. He knows how to raise a racket. Last year, he had to beat an unceremonious retreat after the police played spoilsport at Ramlila Maidan. This time, he has proved a point. What point? One might ask, but let the question pass. To his credit, he even managed to get BSP chief Mayawati and Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh to speak against black money and corruption. Of course, he had the whole of the NDA and a few non-NDA, non-UPA parties speaking for him. That’s quite a feat.

It’s interesting to note that the same set of parties were desperately cooking up ways to block the passage of the Lokpal Bill in Parliament a few months ago. They were also crying themselves hoarse over Team Anna’s aggressive, arm-twisting ways, asserting with great righteous outrage that laws could be made in Parliament only, not at places like Jantar Mantar. What makes Baba Ramdev so popular among politicians? Well, he certainly is more tactful than members of Team Anna and more of an entertainer. And yes, he poses a threat to none, not even the Congress against whom he declared war today.

Baba Ramdev with his followers. PTI
Hell hath no fury like a Baba scorned. The Congress has to pay the price for being dismissive of the yoga guru. The slight was a bit too much this time. Last year, it had directed four ministers to receive him at the airport and treated him as royalty. This time it did not even bother to engage him in talks. “We are not going to sit silently. The activists will educate the country about this movement. The Congress party should be boycotted,” Ramdev said while giving the “Congress hatao, desh bachao” (remove Congress, save the country) call.

Nobody would shed a tear if the UPA 2 goes and the Congress gets wiped out. Both are well beyond their sell-by date. The Congress is already hurtling towards an ignominious marginalisation in national politics. The Baba wants to be the man who gave it the push over the edge. So far so good. All good luck to him. He has the stamina. Someone who can talk non-stop for so long without making too much sense deserves all the luck and the glory. If it were a movie, they would title it ‘Revenge of the Baba’ or ‘Baba Returns’ or the less imaginative ‘Angry Babas of Haridwar’.

This CON DIEnasty dog is only trying to scorn and debase BR to help the CON ITALIAN MAFIA.

http://www.firstpost.com/india/live-ram ... =storypage

8. 40 pm: Ramdev and his followers will not be evicted from the stadium tonight. Delhi police says, “attempts will be made to move Baba Ramdev out of the stadium tomorrow.”

Meanwhile, Baba’s supporters try to arrange for basic amenities like food, water and electricity for the night.

8 pm: Addressing the crowd gathered at the Ambedkar stadium, Baba Ramdev said that they will not leave the ‘temporary jail’ tonight. He demanded that the government must provide food and water to his supporters. “Government feeds terrorists, why can’t it feed my supporters?” he said. The yoga guru also demanded electricity, toilet and other necessary facilities for his supporters at the Ambedkar stadium

Right question. Why not? Well... The terrorists help CON MAFIA/anti-national Leftists to take revenge on India. So the CON MAFIA woman will feed them.

http://www.firstpost.com/india/ramdev-m ... =storypage
Ramdev reminds leaders to weed out corruption: Dalai Lama

Buddhist spiritual leader the Dalai Lama said corruption is a kind of violence and yoga guru Ramdev‘s movement is helpful in reminding people and leaders of the country that something should be done to weed it out.

“I have always been clear, corruption is one kind of violence, exploiting others rights in money field,” the Dalai Lama told reporters here today.

The spiritual leader said, “I think like this (Baba Ramdev) kind of movement is helpful to remind people and also leaders that something should be done (to weed out corruption).”

http://www.firstpost.com/india/the-baba ... 16298.html

From Ram Kishen to Baba Ramdev, the knock-kneed boy from Kalwa village of Narnaul district in Haryana has come a long way from nurturing a cult following based on televised yoga programmes to becoming a potential kingmaker who can influence votes in the next general elections.

Ramdev, who today courted arrest, blocked highways in the national capital and spewed venom at the Congress while threatening to unseat them from their seats of power, has finally shown off his strength, making him a potential force to deal with in the next elections.

But it wasn’t always like this. An early profile of him in Tehelka in 2005 documented his rapid growth from being just a teacher of yoga to a shrewd operator of a business empire that claimed to cure almost every ailment using either yoga asanas or ayurveda.

Every time one brings up the issue of CORRUPTION and NOTORIETY of the CON WOMAN and CON DIEnasty, the whole SCUMS from LEFT all unite to attack them, question them, and ridicule them.

[Sushupti]

[Sushupti]

From what I just gathered from reliable sources, Cops are planning pre dawn swoop! Time 2-3 AM


https://twitter.com/RudraHindu

[member_20317]

Bhai log I dont know if anybody else from this thread has been at both the Anna fast and the BR fast.

Delhi ki janta was clearly 20-100 times more involved in Anna fast. BR on the other hand has 1000 times bigger support from outside Delhi. And BR is way more longer lasting. A large majority of media reports that were critical of the crowd in BR fast were just plain false.

[Prem Kumar]

And where is Anna? In Rome or Om?

He has gone home

[Prem Kumar]

BR has got to be careful here - add more arrows to his quiver, rather than just laser in on "black money from abroad". If push comes to shove, the CON party might take the wind out of that sail by making a show of producing a list from one of the Swiss bank at an appropriate time pre-elections. It would be a highly sanitized list, with just the right amount of low-level CONmen, with some other businessmen & members of different parties thrown in - to show that "corruption has no party".

[RoyG]

Nothing amazing will come out of this fast. Delhi is a fortress. Hindus still haven't been pushed over the edge. BR is part of an architecture that is aimed at ramping up anti-congress mood in the country. Of course, BJP top brass isn't stupid enough to push too hard to the extent of threatening congis with jail time otherwise they themselves will be languishing in cells with them. They are just lying low and letting congress take all the hits and hoping that it yields rich rewards electorally during elections.

[pentaiah]

I have question.

What ever happened to Varsha Bhonsle who used to write fire brand articles on Congi and BJP corruption?

[Vikas]

One thing is for sure. Delhi Police and its masters are completely clueless and incompetent in handling a decent size protest. We are talking about a peaceful crowd of size ~50,000. They were seen literally begging with BR this morning to vacate the stadium. Imagine few lakh folks descending on CP in a tahreer chowk ishtyle.

Whether one is with Baba Ramdev or not, as a Police agency, DP should have been able to handle these protests and fasts in a more professional manner.

[prahaar]

The only way to handle a 50000 crowd professionally is to not allow them to assemble in the center of the city. Once it assembles, only violence can make a non-cooperative crowd move.

-----------------
Added later: it is a matter of organizer's discipline + leadership + intentions. Two contrasts are clearly visible in Delhi vs Mumbai protest rallies.

[sampat]

I have question.

What ever happened to Varsha Bhonsle who used to write fire brand articles on Congi and BJP corruption?

No one knows, she stoped writing after rediff kicked her out and later it was heard she overdosed on some medicine.

Why Rediff kicked out Varsha Bhosle : Rediff - SABRANG unholy nexus


You can write to Ajit Balakrishnan at : ajitb@rediff.co.in

Why Varsha Bhosle was kicked out of Rediff , below is the answer from Varsha . Ajit Balakrishnan of Rediff who is closely associated with Teesta Setalvad's SABRANG communications couldn't able to digest hard facts of Varsha and her plain speaking against these NGO activists .

Here is an excerpt from her email

" Actually, you've got my so-called ploy all wrong. However, I don't expect guys with your mentality to understand that.

You'll be pleased to know that you 'secularists' have a successful and time-tested way of tackling free speech: I am no longer writing for Rediff since its top honcho, Ajit Balakrishnan (also involved with discredited SABRANG communications Communalism Combat , ), finds me 'very inflammatory.' That's surely something to rejoice over. Yes, please do post my comments on your newsgroup. "

[chaanakya]

One thing is for sure. Delhi Police and its masters are completely clueless and incompetent in handling a decent size protest.

......
Whether one is with Baba Ramdev or not, as a Police agency, DP should have been able to handle these protests and fasts in a more professional manner.

Not quite. DP was able to handle it better this time. They also wanted to avoid repeat of last episode where some police personnel are facing serious charges as well. The only constraint they faced this time was Independence Day celebration at Lalkila and high security arrangements needed en route PM convoy.

[chaanakya]

Now that Baba has gone to Haridwar, Anna might resurface.

[Vikas]

One thing is for sure. Delhi Police and its masters are completely clueless and incompetent in handling a decent size protest.

......
Whether one is with Baba Ramdev or not, as a Police agency, DP should have been able to handle these protests and fasts in a more professional manner.

Not quite. DP was able to handle it better this time. They also wanted to avoid repeat of last episode where some police personnel are facing serious charges as well. The only constraint they faced this time was Independence Day celebration at Lalkila and high security arrangements needed en route PM convoy.

In the process, destroyed Ambedkar stadium where Durand cup is to start in 2 days time..

[Murugan]

Added later: it is a matter of organizer's discipline + leadership + intentions. Two contrasts are clearly visible in Delhi vs Mumbai protest rallies.

One group comes together with dharmic mindset and other is...

[subhamoy.das]

This is my first post. I have spent over a decade working in US and a second one working in India. I would argue that the silver bullet for keeping corruption to acceptable level is simple - a efficient and neutral judiciery. Example. An Indian, when he goes to US, starts following the traffic rules for fear of getting punished initially and slowly it becomes a habit. The same Indian guy, when he comes back from US and starts following the traffic rules and slowly figures out that it is actually hurting him more as others are going ahead of the game by breaking the rules and slowly switches back to breaking the rule. Cases in our courts lasts for generations. Big guys who breaks the rules spends some time in jail and then roams free for rest of life because the case is still pending. No political class is interested in reforming the judiciary because that would deal a death kneel into their evil means of capturing and staying in public office.

[Frederic]

I have question.

What ever happened to Varsha Bhonsle who used to write fire brand articles on Congi and BJP corruption?

There was a rumour circulating on the net that sh tried commiting suicide ( a year or so ago.) After that no news.

[Aditya_V]

I have question.

What ever happened to Varsha Bhonsle who used to write fire brand articles on Congi and BJP corruption?

There was a rumour circulating on the net that sh tried commiting suicide ( a year or so ago.) After that no news.

She was fired by editor who also is involved with Sabrang communications

[pentaiah]

So all this anti corruption agitation By Anna and Baba is reduced to

Fast and furious

ok its Other way round

Furious and Fast

Now Clueless and Closed

Ending Crusade against Corruption

They remain best Comics in Standups

That's all folks


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hZrXdJ- ... ata_player

[vijayk]

http://newsinsight.net/archivedebates/n ... recno=2333

Nothing unknown to BRites but the facts are facts.

When a movement like India Against Corruption (IAC) fails, it brings sadness. There is little to celebrate when good people like Anna Hazare, Arvind Kejriwal, Akhil Gogoi, etc, flounder for want of direction. If IAC persists in becoming a political party, then it has no chance. But if it remains a movement, then there is hope it can overcome setbacks and re-contribute to cleansing politics, provided it makes corrections.

Up to its anti-Congress campaign in the Hisar by-election, IAC was clear about its strategy. Because of IAC, Congress did worse than expected. Congress tried to play down the IAC factor in defeat (although it stared in the eye), but its vanquished candidate was so livid with Kejriwal & Co. as to threaten them with violence.
Rather than capitalize on the Hisar victory, which drove terror into the hearts of Congress leaders, IAC turned hyper-sensitive to media criticism about its alleged "opportunism". IAC was called anti-Congress, and to counter the charge, it spurned assistance from parties in the opposition such as BJP. In the Khadakvasla election, IAC kept formally away under media pressure, but the opposition repeatedly reminded voters of Anna Hazare's anti-corruption movement to defeat the NCP-Congress candidate. Thereafter, IAC completely lost the plot.

But IAC in its anxiety to appear politically correct fell into the trap prepared by Congress and the so-called liberal media with its paid news. IAC's goose was cooked when Kejriwal began to appear in news TV debates, unable to distinguish genuine and friendly advice from misdirections and skulduggery. You cannot be serious, purposive and integrated and still remain in limelight. For India Against Corruption, the television medium became the message. In consequence, it lost sight of its goal, people drifted away, and the fickle media deserted it.

To start with, a political party is a bad idea. The surest way to kill IAC is by turning it into a vote-gathering machine. It won't last six months. On the other hand, IAC has more than a good chance of success if it goes back to basics, and starts where it left after the Hisar election. If it is serious about a Lok Pal law, it must target the main party at the Centre which is opposed to it. There is no other way.

To be sure, IAC will be vilified as anti-Congress, pro-BJP, pro-Hindutva, pro-RSS, anti-national, pro-big business, anti-poor, pro-US, and so on. It must quietly and coldly turn its back on such motivated criticism and move with ruthless precision and resolve towards its objective. If political parties choose to ally with it, that's alright. It must accept all genuine partnerships but never lose focus.

[Sushupti]

To make chickens behave all that butcher does is cut the head of one of them and hang him upside down as an example for others. Madhu Kishwar does the same here. She says, when Amartya Sen talks about women issue in India do we say but "oh you have four wives" and not fit for speaking on women issues. all other chickens fell silent and behaved nicely during the debate.

Baba Ramdev's yoga: Turning politics upside down?
http://www.ndtv.com/video/player/the-bu ... o-featured

[RoyG]

I was also impressed with Madhu Kishwar's stance.

[ramana]

About that newsinsight article its basic premise is wrong.

IAC was and is an INC "also rans" outfit, who were there to appear as the Opposition to corruption and melt away once the INC claims to have made amends. And it has done. So why the foolish sadness at the supposed demise of IAC?

Sadness should be for how the public got fooled again by INC.
And how the BJP was mute while the issue was snatched and delegitimized by media, INC and vested interests.

[vijayk]

^^ True. But even for media outlets which are not SOLD to MAFIA, building that case among public is difficult. As soon as they say it, they will be labelled as BJP media. So th idea is to plant in people's mind the PAID MEDIA and CON MAFIA destroyed the movement.

[chaanakya]

Latest to Hit the news in a series of infinite scams is Coalgate scam. Well Coal was one of the oldest scams in the country. Now shit has hit the fan.Let us wait and See how much muck it spreads on both side of the divide.

CAG report to be tabled tomorrow.

[Murugan]

Acharya balakrishna has been granted bail

http://zeenews.india.com/news/uttarakha ... 93935.html

[chaanakya]

Finally Storm Fire of Scams touches the top itself.

Undue benefits of Rs 3.8 lakh crore to private parties under UPA government: CAG

NEW DELHI: Already under attack over various scams, government on Friday faced a fusillade from the comptroller and auditor general (CAG), which has estimated "undue benefits" of over Rs 3.8 lakh crore to private parties in coal blocks allotment without bidding, Delhi airport development and diversion of coal to a power project.

The CAG attack came when three of its reports on coal allocation, development of Delhi airport by GMR-led DIAL and ultra mega power project of Reliance Power Ltd were tabled in Parliament on Friday. The CAG, however, brought down the estimated loss in the allocation of 142 coal blocks since July 2004 from Rs 10.7 lakh crore in the draft report to over Rs 1.85 lakh crore being the benefit to private allottees.

The CAG has estimated a potential earning capacity of Rs 1,63,557 crore to DIAL when it was given Delhi airport land on a concessional lease. The Prime Minister, who held the coal portfolio for a considerable time during the period also escaped any adverse notice of the official auditor and the blame fell on the screening committee consisting of officials for the allocation "which lacked transparency, objectivity and competition".

The beneficiaries of coal block allocation included Essar Group, Jindal, Adani, ArcelorMittal and Tata Steel. The opposition was quick to capitalize on the CAG reports with BJP demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh taking "moral, political and personal" responsibility for the wrongful loss due to coal block allocations.

However, the government rubbished the reports with coal minister Sriprakash Jaiswal saying they were not in agreement with the CAG calculation while minister of state in the PMO V Narayanasamy said the auditor has not followed the constitutional mandate.

[Pratyush]

I picked up the the day after during the morning walk. It was being distributed free of cost. The magazine has a hit piece on BRD. It was most amusing and funny to read.

The ones with short temper and high BP should avoid reading the article.