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

[vijayk]

http://www.rediff.com/news/slide-show/s ... 111108.htm

No government department seems to have any information about the tours and travels undertaken by the United Progressive Alliance Chairperson Sonia Gandhi as a Right To Information application kept moving to different ministries without any substantial response.

The case relates to an RTI application filed by one Kailash Kanwar of Bhilwara in Rajasthan who sought to know about the foreign visits undertaken by the UPA and National Advisory Council Chairperson during the last two years.

He had also sought information about recent visit of Gandhi for her reported treatment in the United States of America through the application under the transparency law.

The application sent to External Affairs Ministry was transferred to Parliamentary Affairs Ministry and Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation under the provisions of RTI Act.

While transferring, the Ministry said, "The Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs is the concerned department for providing information on foreign visits undertaken by Smt Sonia Gandhi as Member of Parliament.

"Regarding foreign visits undertaken by Smt Sonia Gandhi as Chairperson of National Advisory Council, the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation is the concerned Ministry. Therefore Point 3 and 4 of the RTI application (related with the visits) is transferred to them under section 6(3)(ii) of the RTI Act for necessary action."

Ministry of Statistics forwarded the application to National Advisory Council with remarks that it is "not involved in any matter related to tour or trips taken by the members of the NAC or by Smt Sonia Gandhi as UPA Chairperson at any point of time."

The NAC said it has "no information on the said matter" and forwarded it to Prime Minister's Office "since the PMO is the custodian of information relating to all the expenditure incurred in the functioning of the NAC."

The Prime Minister's Office in its reply dated October 20 said, "No information is held with the records held by the office."

The Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs to which MEA has transferred the application has said as per its records it has "zero information" about the foreign tours undertaken by Sonia Gandhi.

[Pratyush]

madam has spoken.

No need for uproar over Lokpal, says Sonia Gandhi

Like all dutiful subjects we should return home and forget all about it.

[sum]

^^ So when madam-ji speaks like this, no DDM sees a contradiction on INC chief of the most corrpt GoI since 1947 talking about clean governance etc but when Advani or Anna team speak on corruption, DDM jumps on them saying that "how can you speak on it when you/your party yourself aren't clean"?

[Manish Jain]

But where exactly is she nowadays? Last heard she was not in capital. Did she come back?

[sum]

Last heard was this today:
Sonia Gandhi ill, calls off public address in Uttarakhand

Congress president Sonia Gandhi's first public address in several months since her surgery in the US was cancelled on Wednesday because of ill-health.

Sonia was to attend a public rally at Chamoli in Uttarakhand, but it was called off at the eleventh hour.

"The Congress president is suffering from fever. Her visit to Uttarakhand has been cancelled," Congress general secretary Janardan Dwivedi told agencies.

A Union minister will be reading out Sonia's speech at the rally, which was meant to kickstart the Congress's campaign in poll bound Uttarkhand.

This was supposed to be Sonia's first public meeting after undergoing surgery in August for an undisclosed ailment. She had on October 2 made a brief public appearance at a prayer meeting on Mahatma Gandhi's 142nd birth anniversary.

Real shady stuff

[Aditya_V]

Corruption can't be fought by speeches: Sonia

orruption cannot be fought by speeches, so I don't understand why this noise," Sonia said in her speech which was read out at Karanprayag rally in Uttrakhand as she was unable to attend it.

Cause the gang lead by you is looting our country and we are suffering due the empty Treasury and we are suffering consequences, a couple of examples are:-

1) Politically disconnected law abiding companies by way of harassment from IT, CBEC to meet revenue targets to bridge deficits,

2) RBI policies mean that the cost of funds has become really expensive affecting businesses and Industry

3) Home owners have to shell out exorbitantly high interests etc and so on.

And you dare ask ' Why so much Noise on corruption'? this is ridiculous.

"The Prime Minister and the Government are committed to bringing the Lokpal Bill. So what's the noise about? Who gave the RTI law? I took up the issue," she said in her speech.

and then promptly exempted all your interests from being disclosed. Case in fact, why was CBI exempted from RTI- cause they falsely claimed to have spent INR 250 cr in court when RTI showed they had spent INR 5 Cr.


This speech is sheer arrogance that don't have to answer to the people of India.

[Pratyush]

When dealing with well intentioned crusaders, this is how you lay an IED. Let us see if they have the maturity & intellegence required to side step it or they will blunder into the proverbial mine field.

Digvijay suspects ‘political ambitions’, asks Anna to clear stand on reservation issue

[Aditya_V]

When dealing with well intentioned crusaders, this is how you lay an IED. Let us see if they have the maturity & intellegence required to side step it or they will blunder into the proverbial mine field.

Digvijay suspects ‘political ambitions’, asks Anna to clear stand on reservation issue

So never a straight answer, never state there was no corruption by Politicos in your Government, never state the sources of Income and list of businesses run by your Partymen, only question those who question you.

[somaz]

Last heard was this today:
Sonia Gandhi ill, calls off public address in Uttarakhand

Congress president Sonia Gandhi's first public address in several months since her surgery in the US was cancelled on Wednesday because of ill-health.

....

Real shady stuff

Wow... I doubted the one source that confirmed to me on Monday that she would not turn for the speech . Accused him of CT nonsense , now I begin to trust the fact that she is not in the country ..duplicity beyond normal human comprehension & what is this that i hear about existence of Press in India !!

[Vikas]

Don't even know what to expect here...

Swami Agnivesh to enter reality show 'Bigg Boss'

I think the con party is paying him for his loyalty through this channel. BTW how much do these big boss candidates get?? last i remember Pamela Anderson got 5 crore rupees.

I would love to see him getting him some Big Boss Treatment... What a shameless creature.

[Jarita]

Corruption can't be fought by speeches: Sonia

orruption cannot be fought by speeches, so I don't understand why this noise," Sonia said in her speech which was read out at Karanprayag rally in Uttrakhand as she was unable to attend it.

Cause the gang lead by you is looting our country and we are suffering due the empty Treasury and we are suffering consequences, a couple of examples are:-

1) Politically disconnected law abiding companies by way of harassment from IT, CBEC to meet revenue targets to bridge deficits,

2) RBI policies mean that the cost of funds has become really expensive affecting businesses and Industry

3) Home owners have to shell out exorbitantly high interests etc and so on.

And you dare ask ' Why so much Noise on corruption'? this is ridiculous.

"The Prime Minister and the Government are committed to bringing the Lokpal Bill. So what's the noise about? Who gave the RTI law? I took up the issue," she said in her speech.

and then promptly exempted all your interests from being disclosed. Case in fact, why was CBI exempted from RTI- cause they falsely claimed to have spent INR 250 cr in court when RTI showed they had spent INR 5 Cr.


This speech is sheer arrogance that don't have to answer to the people of India.

Such racist arrogance - I don't have to answer to the natives. How dare you ask me even if I am a semi literate chor

[ramana]

Did I mention pre-French Revolution disconnect in the Telangana Thread?

[Pratyush]

Mr FM, can taxman do quiet deals with Swiss a/c holders?

[Aditya_V]

link

If there's one person who clearly should remain on silent mode, it is Shashi Tharoor. On October 30, while delivering a talk at the D.G. Vaishnav College in Chennai, he told his audience, whose mobile phones had started ringing, "During public meetings, the organisers usually request everybody to keep their cellphones in Manmohan Singh mode. I guess they forgot to do the same here." But when the audience burst out laughing he did some damage control. "I was just joking. Our Prime Minister is the most efficient person I have ever seen." Too late.

Jokes apart, very curious.

The non -discript college I went to now has good enough status for the likes of Shahi Tharoor to vist? WOW.

[wig]

enlgihtening article on how corruption was tackled a thousand years ago in india

http://www.dnaindia.com/scitech/report_ ... ay_1610437

Aligarh Muslim University historian S Chandni Bi, who has specialised in epigraphy, the study of inscriptions
Among the inscriptions three are very important which belong to the 10th century AD Two inscriptions are found in Vaykundanatha Perumal temple at Uttramerur, Kanchipuram district and another one is from Pallipakkam village of Tanjore in Tamil Nadu state belonging to the rule of Parantaka Chola Ist," Chandni explains.

"The crimes committed by the members of the Saba are divided into three categories. The swindling of funds or public property and those who failed to submit their accounts have been considered as crime number two. Such members were not eligible to contest the Saba election for life long. Not only they but their relatives too could not contest elections, like children, in-laws, brothers and their children, grand -parents, grand- children, relations through wife etc, nearly for three generations. They were called as 'Grama Dhurogis'.
"While murder of even Brahmins was considered pardonable, crimes like cheating or swindling public funds were unpardonable even by gods. Political crime was not pardonable but other crimes could be punished with penalties or performance of penance and charitable deeds, to become eligible for elections again."

There were established codes of conduct laid down for the Saba members as found in an inscription from Mannur village of Tirunelveli district. Among them, the most interesting one relates to obstructing the political processes or functioning of the Saba deliberately. In such cases a penalty of five Kasu (Rupees) was imposed for every such act of mis-conduct, on such members. Yet they were permitted to stay and participate in the proceedings of the Saba. Generally, the Kings' orders were executed by passing in the Saba.

To prevent political power getting concentrated in one family leading to dynastic tendencies, rules were framed. "According to this rule, the present members of the Saba cannot contest the election for next 2 to 10 years. In the same way none of their relatives should have contested for the past five years if one wanted to contest for membership of Saba. There is also a sub-rule to provide equal opportunity for everybody stipulating induction of two new members without any previous experience as members of the Saba."

The Sabas had to be dissolved before the election of the new one and the elections were generally conducted by the village accountant and a judge called 'Madyasthan'. In the public services there were no holidays and therefore no one in authority could neglect public duty. "It was categorically mentioned that the elected members should provide their service for 360 days. The elected members' term of office was only one year and automatically should resign after completion of the term."

[Aditya_V]

enlgihtening article on how corruption was tackled a thousand years ago in india

http://www.dnaindia.com/scitech/report_ ... ay_1610437

Aligarh Muslim University historian S Chandni Bi, who has specialised in epigraphy, the study of inscriptions
Among the inscriptions three are very important which belong to the 10th century AD Two inscriptions are found in Vaykundanatha Perumal temple at Uttramerur, Kanchipuram district and another one is from Pallipakkam village of Tanjore in Tamil Nadu state belonging to the rule of Parantaka Chola Ist," Chandni explains.

"The crimes committed by the members of the Saba are divided into three categories. The swindling of funds or public property and those who failed to submit their accounts have been considered as crime number two. Such members were not eligible to contest the Saba election for life long. Not only they but their relatives too could not contest elections, like children, in-laws, brothers and their children, grand -parents, grand- children, relations through wife etc, nearly for three generations. They were called as 'Grama Dhurogis'.
"While murder of even Brahmins was considered pardonable, crimes like cheating or swindling public funds were unpardonable even by gods. Political crime was not pardonable but other crimes could be punished with penalties or performance of penance and charitable deeds, to become eligible for elections again."

There were established codes of conduct laid down for the Saba members as found in an inscription from Mannur village of Tirunelveli district. Among them, the most interesting one relates to obstructing the political processes or functioning of the Saba deliberately. In such cases a penalty of five Kasu (Rupees) was imposed for every such act of mis-conduct, on such members. Yet they were permitted to stay and participate in the proceedings of the Saba. Generally, the Kings' orders were executed by passing in the Saba.

To prevent political power getting concentrated in one family leading to dynastic tendencies, rules were framed. "According to this rule, the present members of the Saba cannot contest the election for next 2 to 10 years. In the same way none of their relatives should have contested for the past five years if one wanted to contest for membership of Saba. There is also a sub-rule to provide equal opportunity for everybody stipulating induction of two new members without any previous experience as members of the Saba."

The Sabas had to be dissolved before the election of the new one and the elections were generally conducted by the village accountant and a judge called 'Madyasthan'. In the public services there were no holidays and therefore no one in authority could neglect public duty. "It was categorically mentioned that the elected members should provide their service for 360 days. The elected members' term of office was only one year and automatically should resign after completion of the term."

So elections are not a western invention which easterners only learnt through colonism as published by NCERT. ??

[RamaY]

Corruption (not just financial but intellectual as well) was considered crime even in ancient times. This was called "Asatya/Anruta" in those days. Anyone caught doing that used to be cursed for many lives.

Coming to democracy every dynastic ruler had to be accepted by various grama-leaders and janapada elders as early as King Bharata.

[Pranay]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/indi ... 679449.cms

The folks in the INC (top to bottom) are so clueless about the issue at hand and ways to solve it...

Anna Hazare has taken exception to Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan's remarks that his team should come out in the open on joining politics, asking him whether only those who fight elections can speak against corruption.

"Now it is being said that Anna should fight elections. Does it mean that if somebody is speaking against corruption, he has to fight elections? If so, then 120 crore people in the country should stand for elections and they can speak against corruption only after that," he said.

He said politicians have fought elections but nobody has done anything to put a brake on corruption. "In the past 62 years, you have not brought a law that can fight corruption," he said.

His remarks came as a response to Chavan's remarks that it was "amply clear" that Hazare's associates want to join politics and asked them to be open about it.

[vijayk]

http://www.firstpost.com/politics/cbi-q ... 28026.html
CBI questions ex-Rajasthan minister in Bhanwari Devi case

Former Rajasthan Minister Mahipal Maderna has been questioned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) over his involvement in the Bhanwari Devi case. Maderna is a key accused in the case. He was questioned at the Circuit House in Jodhpur, where the CBI team investigating the case is camping.

The minister, who was allegedly involved in an extra-marital affair with Bhanwari Devi, was caught in a compromising position with her in a video grab. After parts of the alleged video were aired on news channels, Devi went missing. With his government under fire for the disappearance of Bhanwari Devi, a midwife and nurse, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot had sacked Mr Maderna from his cabinet on October 16.

Look how deceptive and dangerous our media has become. No where his party is mentioned. If it was BJP, they would mention the party affiliation 100 times.

I saw the same story in TOIlet with no party affiliation.

I remember some BJP party small time district officer was arrested for raping his daughter is some small town. The heading was in first page as "BJP party vice president arrested for raping his daughter".

[Pratyush]

I don’t need a Team Anna certificate in fighting corruption: Nitish Kumar

[Aditya_V]

http://www.firstpost.com/politics/cbi-q ... 28026.html
CBI questions ex-Rajasthan minister in Bhanwari Devi case

Former Rajasthan Minister Mahipal Maderna has been questioned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) over his involvement in the Bhanwari Devi case. Maderna is a key accused in the case. He was questioned at the Circuit House in Jodhpur, where the CBI team investigating the case is camping.

The minister, who was allegedly involved in an extra-marital affair with Bhanwari Devi, was caught in a compromising position with her in a video grab. After parts of the alleged video were aired on news channels, Devi went missing. With his government under fire for the disappearance of Bhanwari Devi, a midwife and nurse, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot had sacked Mr Maderna from his cabinet on October 16.

Look how deceptive and dangerous our media has become. No where his party is mentioned. If it was BJP, they would mention the party affiliation 100 times.

I saw the same story in TOIlet with no party affiliation.

I remember some BJP party small time district officer was arrested for raping his daughter is some small town. The heading was in first page as "BJP party vice president arrested for raping his daughter".

I don't think there any doubt today even among the general public that Media today is tightly controlled by INC in a carrot and stick approach. Many people who had faith in media 2 years today are convinced about it. I don't anybody is even hiding this fact today.

[Pratyush]

^^^

Every one knows who rules Rajasthan, even if the party affiliations are not mentioned people still understand that it is the secular party.

[Jarita]

^^^ Major conversions going on in Rajasthan

[Pranay]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/indi ... 694340.cms

Anyone have a link to the discussion mentioned below on Aaj Tak?

Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal has alleged government was spending crores of rupees and planting stories in media to separate Anna Hazare from him and other prominent team members Kiran Bedi and Prashant Bhushan.

Accusing the government of trying to defame Team Anna with charges that would not stick, he told 'Seedhi Baat' programme in Aaj Tak that "there's a conspiracy to separate Anna Hazare from Kiran Bedi, Arvind Kejriwal and Prashant Bhushan.

"The government is spending crores of rupees for this. Stories are being planted in the media," Kejriwal was quoted as saying in a statement issued by the channel.

He said Team Anna was targeting Congress because no other party could assure a strong Lokpal Bill at the Centre. "After the assurance given by the Prime Minister and Sonia Gandhi, we are confident that there will be a strong Lokpal at the Centre. When this will happen, I don't know," he said.

On the allegations levelled by him that government was tapping phones of Team Anna members, he said they were not going to file an FIR because it was not a problem for us.

"Government can go on tapping our phones, following us...digging up our power lines," he said.

[Pranav]

India TV Sting Reveals, Thugs Planning To Attack Anna Hazare, Medha Patkar

New Delhi, Nov 11: India TV on Friday night exposed with the help of hidden cameras miscreants who have planned to attack anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare and Team Anna member Medha Patkar when they visit Lucknow and Delhi.

The sting was carried out on the very same persons who had bashed up Prashant Bhushan in Delhi and had thrown a chappal at Arvind Kejriwal in Lucknow.

The stings carried out with the help of hidden cameras by India TV reporters in Lucknow and Delhi during the month of October and November showed that these persons having admitted that they were "professionals" who carried out such acts for money.

The "professionals" revealed that they were planning to carry out an attack on Team Anna member Medha Patkar on December 10 in Delhi by hiring a group of women. Medha Patkar was speaking too much about Kashmiriyat, one of the "professionals" said.

Jitendra Pathak, the man who threw a chappal at Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal on Oct 18 in Lucknow's Jhulelal Park, said during the sting operation, that he planned to use a bomb to attack Anna Hazare himself when he would visit Lucknow.

In a Nov 1 meeting at Lucknow's Royal Cafe with India TV reporter posing as an organiser to felicitate him, Jitendra Pathak said he would attack Anna Hazare during the latter's UP visit.

Pathak said: "Anna agar chunaav me aaye, toh maare jayenge....Hum bomb bana sakte hain. Kuch aur logon ki jaan jaaye toh jaaye (If Anna comes during elections here, he will get killed... We can make a bomb... If some other people die, let them die)

Vishnu Gupta, the man who beat up Prashant Bhushan in the lawyers chambers in Delhi on October 12 over his remarks on Kashmir, told the India TV reporter on Nov 4 at a coffee house in Sec-18, Noida on Nov 4 that Medha Patkar was their next target.

"Agla hamlaa Medha Patkar par hoga. Kuch mahilayen taiyar ki hai.... Kyonki woh mahila hain, nahin toh case lag jayega ki mahila par haath uthaya" (Medha Patkar is our next target. ..We have prepared some women...Since she is a woman, we can be hauled up for beating a woman).

Inder Verma, another man who took part in beating up Prashant Bhushan, told India TV reporter at Nirula's Connaught Place, Delhi, on Oct 24 also confimed that their next targets were Medha Patkar and Anna Hazare.

Arun Upadhyay, a friend of Inder Verma, accompanying him during the sting said that they were given laptop and cellphone by a senior Shiv Sena leader after they bashed up Prashant Bhushan.

Arun Upadhyay said; "Abhi Balasaheb (Shiv Sena supremo) ne hamen Matoshree bulaya hai. Sanjay Raut (Shiv Sena MP) hamare mitra hain. Balasaheb ko Anna aur unki team se pareshani hai." (Balasaheb has invited us to Matoshree for a meeting. Sanjay raut is our friend. Balasaheb has problems with Anna and his team)

Tejinderpal Singh Bagga, the third man who took part in bashing up Prashatn Bhushan, met India TV undercover reporters in his house in Vishnu Garden, Tilak Nagar, Delhi.

Bagga said, he had two persons - Medha Patkar and social activist Sandip Pandey - as his targets. He admitted he was in BJP one and a half years back.

Bagga said, VHP leader Acharya Dharmendra and several other leaders rang him up and thanked him for bashing up Prashant Bhushan. "Khush toh saare hain, lekin saare yahi chahte hain ki hamaaari jaan na phans jaaye" (All of them are happy, but they also want their names should not be involved)

Bagga revealed how he had planned to gather nearly 50 persons to bash up Prashatn Bhushan on October 1 itself, but it was called off at the last moment.

http://www.indiatvnews.com/news/India/I ... 12005.html

[R_Kumar]

Its getting very hard for general public to decide which story is the true story and that includes these so called sting operations.

[suryag]

In confusion reigns Con gress party

[Pratyush]

Team Anna is unravelling, and Anna is no Gandhi

[derkonig]

^^^ Major conversions going on in Rajasthan

What is the bodycount/day like?

[somaz]

India TV Sting Reveals, Thugs Planning To Attack Anna Hazare, Medha Patkar

New Delhi, Nov 11: India TV on Friday night exposed with the help of hidden cameras miscreants who have planned to attack anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare and Team Anna member Medha Patkar when they visit Lucknow and Delhi.

The sting was carried out on the very same persons who had bashed up Prashant Bhushan in Delhi and had thrown a chappal at Arvind Kejriwal in Lucknow.

....
http://www.indiatvnews.com/news/India/I ... 12005.html

After Thelka's success during NDA with this "he Says , She Says" kind of hogwash, I do not give much credence to these type of Sting operations, they can very easily be manipulated as Black Flag Ops .

[Pranay]

http://www.timesnow.tv/Debate-Nitish-Ku ... 388758.cms

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar / Team Anna debate on Lokpal in Bihar.

[chetak]

Kiran aunty is as morally ambivalent now as she ever was during her service career.

She is one great survivor, constantly and innovatively metamorphosing with a highly developed sense of self preservation and self promotion


Kiran Bedi hits back at Arvind Kejriwal for Inflated bills comment

[Pranay]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/indi ... 715492.cms

With Team Anna members coming under attack, Anna Hazare today said the core committee will be expanded but a "sharp eye" will be kept on new members so that people with only clean background are part of the movement.

The 74-year-old activist said he will not pick just any one for the committee and a background check will be conducted before inducting new members.

"One thing good about this agitation is that people have come forward. Thousands of people have come up. People are ready to join the protest. Now, we just have to search the people. We will find good people," he said after a meeting of the core committee here.

"Now, we will keep a sharp check on all the new members of the committee. I won't pick just any," he said.

"We have many people ready to serve, We will send our people to check their background. Will check if they have police case. A person of character will be chosen. A graduate, Muslim, Dalit, adivasi, all will be taken," he said.

However, the number in the core committee will not go beyond 80, he said.

[Pranay]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Note ... 729003.cms

A noted Muslim religious leader has once again set off speculations about joining Anna Hazare's core team against anti-corruption and for a strong ombudsman (Jan lokpal) bill in the country. Famous Shia cleric Maulana Kalbe Sadiq's support to Anna Hazare's anti-corruption campaign is crucial especially in view of the fact that a considerable number of Muslims have been either against or stayed away from the movement.

Following his meeting with former Rashtriya Swayam Seva (RSS) chief KS Sudarshan last week, Maulana Kalbe met Team Anna's core member Arvind Kejriwal on Monday here. Kejriwal paid a visit to Maulana ostensibly to seek support for Jan lokpal bill and even though sources in Anna's camp insisted that the membership issue was not discussed, there were reports that the cleric known for his progressive and modern outlook had already been shortlisted in a bid to counter Muslims reservations against the movement.

Talking to TOI, Sanjay Singh, a team member, said that the meeting proved to be a huge success and Maulana Sadiq had extended full support to the anti-graft campaign. In fact, a host of ulema invited to meet Kejriwal at a special function, expressed solidarity with the cause, Singh claimed. The invitees includiing Maulana Irfan Firangimahali, Mufti Maulana Kazmi, chairperson of all India Muslim Women Personal Law Board (AIMWPLB) Shaista Ambar and representatives of the Momin conference, he said, had reinforced their faith in Anna "as Islam had always endorsed fight against corruption."

[Pranay]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/indi ... 732858.cms

A consensus appears to be emerging on widening the scope of the proposed Lokpal beyond Group A officers to also cover those belonging to Group B of the government.

Sources familiar with deliberations in the parliamentary standing committee on law and justice said the members felt the ambit of the anti-graft law should be larger than that proposed in the government draft.

This is likely to impact 2.4 lakh officers in the government which has a total 30 lakh employees. While the Group A has 85,000 officers, Group B covers 170,000."The government's bill had recommended that Group A officers be governed by the Lokpal. Members felt that this scope could be increased," a source said.

When contacted, standing committee chairman Abhishek Singhvi said, "The committee made good progress and discussed several important issues threadbare and will move on to other issues tomorrow. Discussions were consensual, constructive and focused on practical effective results along with ensuring constitutional validity of the proposals."

With the standing committee agreeing to expand the remit of the proposed Lokpal to Group B, as well as to reduce penalty for frivolous complaints and set up Lokayuktas in states by a central legislation, the Singhvi-led panel has accepted three key demands of Team Anna.

[Pranay]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/indi ... 746804.cms

Some important changes shaping up quietly...

The parliamentary panel on Lokpal is likely to recommend that CBI's prosecution powers be hacked and a separate autonomous wing for prosecution be created. The standing committee on law and justice is likely to allow CBI powers to investigate cases under the supervisory control of the Lokpal. In a nod to Team Anna's demand, the investigation and prosecution wings of the government may be split while giving Lokpal overall control on cases of corruption.

The panel is likely to recommend that CVC continue to function separately from Lokpal. The panel may also suggest bringing down the number of government nominees in the committee set up to select the Lokpal members.

The standing committee on law and justice also discussed whether the position of the prime minister should be brought within the bill but with two divergent views, the issue was deferred to the next meeting.

[Pratyush]

With House panel in no mood to buy maximalism, Team Anna may end up losers

[Pranav]

With House panel in no mood to buy maximalism, Team Anna may end up losers

Arvind Kejriwal, one of the leading members of the team is apprehensive of the new bill already. He said he would appeal to the standing committee to reconsider their decision to keep group ‘C’ and group ‘D’ officials out. “Where would a poor person, whose ration has been siphoned off, go? Almost Rs 30,000 crore worth of rations are siphoned off every year… It is Group C and Group D officials who are involved in it,” he told the media.

He also said that the committee must think seriously about bringing judges under the Lokpal since graft cases involving judges are out of the judicial accountability bill.

[Pranay]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/indi ... 780821.cms

Team Anna member Kiran Bedi on Friday said the onus of getting the Lokpal Bill passed in the winter session of Parliament lies with the Congress, failing which there will be nationwide "Ramlila Maidan-like protests".

She said Team Anna has "nothing against the Congress per se but firmly believe that the onus for getting a legislation passed lay on the party in power".

Failure to pass the Lokpal Bill in the winter session of the Parliament by the Congress "would trigger Ramlila Maidan- like protests in more than 300 cities across the country", Bedi told reporters here.

"Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi have promised to the nation that the Lokpal Bill will be passed in the upcoming Parliament session...We are watching the situation carefully and, for now, hoping that they would keep their word," she said.

[anmol]

November 18, 2011.

Dr. Manmohan Singh,

Prime Minister of India,

South Block,

New Delhi.

Dear Prime Minister:

I write this letter to inform you that well-placed members of your
Government have expressed to me in confidence their disgust and sorrow at the
open interference into the functioning of various Ministries by the two sisters of Ms
Sonia Gandhi, namely, Ms Anushka Vinci and Ms Nadia who are Italians citizens
but now frequently reside in 10, Janpath, New Delhi which premises had been
allotted to their sister Ms Sonia Gandhi.
The problem is the undue and uncalled for interference by these two ladies.
This has national security implications since not only they are citizens of a foreign
country (Italy) but their activities in Dubai and London reveal their contacts with
unsavoury and anti-Indian characters. Their mode of travel by private jet which
are owned by dubious characters accentuate the national security threat. As you
know that the conditions of their Indian visa do not permit these activities and in
fact warrant the cancellation of their visas.
Hence I request you to make a suitable enquiry by officers of RAW and
Intelligence Bureau who are known not to have improper proximity with the
family of Ms Sonia Gandhi and her siblings. I strongly urge you to see that these
ladies be deported from India to Italy if they continue such activities.

Best Regards,

Yours sincerely,

( SUBRAMANIAN SWAMY )