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

Pranay · Post by **Pranay** » 20 Dec 2011 20:13

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/indi ... 180278.cms

Parliament's Winter Session has been extended by three days from December 27 to facilitate the passage of the Lokpal Bill and some other key legislations. The bill be be tabled on December 27.

The draft note on the bill has been cleared by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and will be taken up by the Cabinet tonight.

"The Winter Session of Parliament has been extended by three days from December 27," a senior minister said here.

The Lokpal Bill, Judicial Accountability Bill and Whistleblowers' Bill will be taken up for consideration and passing during the extended Winter Session, he said.

Pranay · Post by **Pranay** » 21 Dec 2011 01:08

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/indi ... 184316.cms

The Union cabinet on Tuesday approved the much-awaited Lokpal bill, bringing the prime minister under the anti-graft ombudsman with riders but excluding the CBI and the lower bureaucracy. Anna Hazare slammed the move, terming the government "dishonest" and vowed to launch his hunger strike Dec 27.

The Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh approved the bill after an hour-long meeting in the parliament house.

The bill is likely to be introduced and put up for consideration and passage in Lok Sabha Dec 22, the scheduled last day of the winter session.

This means the parliament may be extended just for a day for this purpose.

Pranay · Post by **Pranay** » 21 Dec 2011 09:27

http://outlookindia.com/article.aspx?279376

Why is the government going back on the key provision of its own Lokpal Bill 2011, giving the function of investigation to an independent Lokpal?
SHANTI BHUSHAN

All right thinking people in the country will have to ponder over this mystery. The government's own Lokpal Bill 2011, in section 12(1) provided as follows:

“12(1) Not withstanding anything contained in any other law for the time being in force, the Lokpal shall constitute an investigating wing for the purpose of conducting investigation of any offence alleged to have been committed by a public servant, punishable under the Prevention of Corruption Act 1988.”

It now appears that the government is developing cold feet on this key provision i.e.Section 12 giving the function of investigation to an independent Lokpal.

Everybody knows that "investigation” is the real function, which alone can get a public servant punished. Till now these investigation agencies have been the CBI at the centre and the Anti-Corruption Bureau of the state police in the states. These have been under the administrative control of the governments.

The appointments, promotions, transfers and disciplinary action against the police officers of these organizations were made by the government.

The governments have been shielding these corrupt officers and corruption has been growing to monumental proportions.This was the reason, why a Lokpal Authority which was independent of the government was needed, which alone could have put a stop to this menace of growing corruption.

Evidently the Government and the politicians know this and realize that if the power of investigation is conferred on an independent Lokpal, their coffers would start drying up. Nothing else can explain the government‘s volte face on Sec. of 12 its own Lokpal bill 2011.

somaz · Post by **somaz** » 21 Dec 2011 23:33

Pranav wrote:The Games P Chidambaram played - http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_th ... ed_1627178

.

Link is not working.

Pranay · Post by **Pranay** » 22 Dec 2011 01:28

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/indi ... 195507.cms

Looks like battle lines have been drawn... Some of the individuals who will determine the outcome and where they stand...

As the government prepared to table Lokpal Bill in Parliament on Thursday, Samajwadi Party and RJD today opposed the legislation, contending that it would give "all powers" to the police.

SP leader Mulayam Singh Yadav and RJD chief Lalu Prasad made their opposition known in the Lok Sabha after BSP raised an unrelated issue of manhandling of one of its MPs by SPG personnel inside Parliament complex. Yadav warned the government that the proposed legislation would give "all powers" to the police.

"Lokpal will not be in your hands. It will go to the hands of police. Nothing can be done then against the police," he said and apparently referred to Anna Hazare as he asked whether all this could be done "under pressure of one man".

He said his party will oppose as much as it can. "These powers will go to the police, they will not respect us (MPs). superintendents of police and district magistrates will send us to jail," Yadav said.

"Think over it seriously as to whom you are going to give powers," Yadav told the government. "May you have the powers, I have no objection. Let the Prime Minister have the powers, let (Sharad) Pawar 'sahab' have the powers, I have no objection. But by giving all powers to the police, what do you want to do with this country?... This incident (of manhandling) has happened today.

See what happens when Lokpal comes," the Samajwadi Party chief said. RJD chief Lalu Prasad joined Yadav, saying that he had not raised any insignificant issue but the government was not paying attention as if it had "disappeared".

Team Anna member Kiran Bedi on Wednesday attacked Congress chief Sonia Gandhi on Lokpal issue by sarcastically thanking her while alleging that the bill for setting up an anti-corruption ombudsman was not pathbreaking but breaking the path.

"The bill is not path breaking but breaking the path. Thank you Sonia G," Bedi said in micro-blogging site Twitter.

"Sonia G is saying she is fighting for a Lokpal. Is it for or against Lokpal? For there is nothing for Lokpal," she said reacting to Gandhi's speech in Congress Parliamentary Party meeting where the Congress chief asserted that she will fight for the passage of the Lokpal bill in Parliament.

Bedi's remarks came as Gandhi hit out at the Opposition for "obstructionist" tactics and Team Anna for "deliberate and malicious" criticism of the Government on the Lokpal issue.

The Team Anna member was critical of government's move to keep CBI out of Lokpal's control, saying this kind of Lokpal Bill better not be passed or else it will destroy whatever is left of CBI.

"The government is creating an anti-corruption body without any wherewithal for investigation. Who is fooling whom?" she said.

"It appears till a provision for immunity is guaranteed for past acts of corruption, political parties will ensure CBI remains in government control," she said, adding it was now 'Save CBI' campaign.

She also appealed to BJP leaders Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley to help getting CBI out of government control. "Will you (Swaraj) and Mr (Arun) Jaitley get us?" she asked.

Bedi said, "Have you ever heard of creating an investigating body without any investigating body? Are we dumb citizens who can be given anything?"

Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday backed the government on the Lokpal Bill saying she would fight for its passage.

"I will fight for Lokpal," she told reporters after addressing the general body meeting of the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP).

She told the MPs that on Tuesday the government has approved the Lokpal Bill, which is to be introduced and passed.

Gandhi referred to the opposition criticism that Congress and the government was not doing anything to tackle the scourge of corruption and said "this is deliberate and malicious misinformation."

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday said it will not comment on the Lokpal bill until the final version of the proposed legislation is circulated among MPs.

A day after several BJP leaders said they will protest the bill and called it "cheating the people", party leader S.S. Ahluwalia said no statement could be made without seeing the bill.

"Even a full stop or a comma changes the meaning of a sentence... we will see the bill and only then give any comment," Ahluwalia said.

"Why should we take up the gun, without even knowing what is there in the bill," he said.

Pranay · Post by **Pranay** » 22 Dec 2011 02:03

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/indi ... 194348.cms

Amid the belligerent mood of the opposition over the Lokpal issue, the Congress on Wednesday hoped of a positive outcome and said it was not worried about any threat.

"We must act and think positive. We expect collective wisdom of Parliament will do something," Congress spokesperson Janardhan Dwivedi told reporters when asked whether Lokpal Bill will be passed in the session given the mood of the opposition.

He also said that the Congress is not worried over Team Anna's agitation threat. "We are not worried about any challenge," he said in reply to a question whether the proposed agitation will create law and order problems.

On Anna Hazare's comment that Lokpal Bill is nothing but cheating with the people, Dwivedi said, "I do not consider this view deserves my comment."

Asked if there is any difference between party and the government, he said, "Soniaji has completely rejected this criticism in the Congress Parliamentary Party meeting. She said that there may be different points of views so far any issue is concerned. But as far as working is concerned party and the government are working together and marching together with one voice and approach."

Criticising government's move to keep CBI out of the purview of Lokpal Bill, Team Anna member N Santosh Hegde today said the step would reduce the anti-corruption watchdog to a mere complainant which is not acceptable.

"This is unacceptable totally because now they are trying to make the Lokpal institution just a complainant, not an investigative agency", the former Supreme Court judge said.

Lokpal Bill was cleared last night by the Union Cabinet. The new Lokpal Bill will be a Constitution amendment Bill which will also bring the Prime Minister under the ambit of Lokpal with certain riders.

The new Lokpal Bill, however, keeps the CBI out of purview of Lokpal except on cases which are referred to it by the latter. The Lokpal will have its own wings for preliminary inquiries and prosecution.

"From what I read in newspapers, the Lokpal institution which is going to be headed by top-level people can only enquire, then investigation is handed over to the CBI. CBI, in turn, is answerable to the Government. It does not come under Lokpal. Therefore, what's the role of Lokpal? Only an enquiry officer?", the former Karnataka Lokayukta said.

With this move, the CBI would only become "all-powerful", he said.

"If a complaint is given by the Lokpal, then that investigation will be conducted by CBI. This means Lokpal has become an ordinary complainant which will go to CBI and lodge a complaint and CBI will then investigate in the manner it likes and Lokpal will have no control in investigation part of it. This is not acceptable", N Santosh Hegde said.

Pranay · Post by **Pranay** » 22 Dec 2011 04:57

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/indi ... 199907.cms

The government decided to amend the draft Lokpal bill to drop the clause on reservation for minorities in the Lokpal as well as the search committee. The rethink has been prompted by the recognition that quota for minorities may not fly in a court of law.

The draft bill originally provides for 50% reservation for SCs, STs, OBCs, women and minorities among the eight-member Lokpal as well as the search panel which will shortlist candidates for appointment to the anti-graft watchdog. It was not clear whether the 50% quota is also going to be trimmed now.

Pranay · Post by **Pranay** » 22 Dec 2011 04:59

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/indi ... 199781.cms

The following are some of the highlights of the Lokpal bill that the government will table before the Parliament on Thursday:

* Single legislation conferring constitutional status on Lokpal and Lokayukta

* Lokayukta will be a model law optional for states to adopt

* Lokpal chairperson will be selected by a panel of PM, Lok Sabha Speaker, leader of opposition in LS, CJI or his nominee (Supreme Court judge) and an eminent jurist nominated by President

*~~50% reservation for SCs, STs, OBCs, minorities and women among 8 members of Lokpal~~ If article posted above is true.

* 50% of 8 members will have judicial background and the reservation clause will apply to them too

* Lokpal to receive complaints against ministers, MPs and all government servants. Similar provision relating to Lokayuktas

* Lokpal to function as final appellate authority for grievances relating to delivery of public services

* Complaints against chairperson and members to be sent to President, who can remove them after obtaining the Supreme Court's opinion

* PM and all categories of government servants included within Lokpal's ambit

* Lokpal cannot look into PM's work relating to international relations, external and internal security, maintenance of public order, atomic energy and space

* Complaint of corruption against PM would be subject to in-camera preliminary inquiry by a full bench of Lokpal comprising not less than 75% of its members

* Lokpal will have supervisory control over CBI on investigations into corruption cases referred by it to the agency. Lokpal to have independent inquiry and prosecution wing

* CVC too will supervise the CBI in cases referred by it to the agency

* CBI director to be selected by a panel comprising PM, leader of opposition in Lok Sabha and the CJI or his nominee judge

* All NGOs receiving more than Rs 10 lakh donation per annum from foreign sources will come within the Lokpal's purview.

niran · Post by **niran** » 22 Dec 2011 07:54

Pranay wrote: * All NGOs receiving more than Rs 10 lakh donation per annum from foreign sources will come within the Lokpal's purview.

this single clause will make or break the fight against corruption
i bet a hundred INR "India aganst corruption" shall be the first NGO investigated under this law, the complaint shall be from some whothefakishe of course.

Murugan · Post by **Murugan** » 22 Dec 2011 11:52

Fix The Parliamentarians - Email Doing Rounds

_*Reform Act of 2011*_

1. No Tenure / No Pension.

Parliamentarians collect a salary while in office but should not receive any pay when they're out of office.

2. Parliamentarians should purchase their own retirement plans, just as all Indians do.

3. Parliamentarians should no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Their pay should be linked to the CPI or 3%, whichever is lower.

4. Parliamentarians should lose their current health care system and participate in the same health care system as the Indian people.

5. Parliamentarians should equally abide by all laws they impose on the Indian people.

6. All contracts with past and present Parliamentarians should be void effective 1/1/12. The Indian people did not make this contract with them. Parliamentarians made all these contracts for themselves.

Serving in Parliament is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, so ours should serve their term(s), then go home and back to work.

Nihat · Post by **Nihat** » 22 Dec 2011 14:42

Now these retarded MP's want quota for sc, st and muslims in an anti corruption body, how hopeless is that.

I feel disgust on my fellow citizens for electing people like mulayam singh and lalu prasad to parliment.

Aditya_V · Post by **Aditya_V** » 22 Dec 2011 15:03

Murugan wrote:Fix The Parliamentarians - Email Doing Rounds

_*Reform Act of 2011*_

1. No Tenure / No Pension.

Parliamentarians collect a salary while in office but should not receive any pay when they're out of office.

2. Parliamentarians should purchase their own retirement plans, just as all Indians do.

3. Parliamentarians should no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Their pay should be linked to the CPI or 3%, whichever is lower.

4. Parliamentarians should lose their current health care system and participate in the same health care system as the Indian people.

5. Parliamentarians should equally abide by all laws they impose on the Indian people.

6. All contracts with past and present Parliamentarians should be void effective 1/1/12. The Indian people did not make this contract with them. Parliamentarians made all these contracts for themselves.

Serving in Parliament is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, so ours should serve their term(s), then go home and back to work.

I would much prefer if parlimentarians relied on their salary rather than "OTHER SOURCES". All this is INC tamasha, since they don't care about their official salaries, they are willing to take cut backs, heck even if their official salary is reduced to Re 1, it will not hurt their pockets.

Only parties where MP's have need for official Salaries and Perks tend not to compromise on it.

krishnan · Post by **krishnan** » 22 Dec 2011 16:03

16:00 A retired police officer, two lawyers, an old man and a civil servant are dictating terms to MPs and the Parliament, says Lalu in Parliament. (Referring to Team Anna)

Pranay · Post by **Pranay** » 22 Dec 2011 18:34

http://news.outlookindia.com/items.aspx?artid=745162

posting in full...

Hitting out at the government on the "useless" Lokpal Bill, Anna Hazare today challenged Congress chief Sonia Gandhi to a public debate on it to convince people that the proposed legislation is strong.

Hazare said the new Bill is of no use if the anti-corruption ombudsman does not have control over CBI and the lower bureaucracy is not brought under its direct control.

"Sonia Gandhi says the bill is strong. If it is so, let she come out and debate with us in front of media. Let people see it. Convince the people of the country that it is strong. We will explain how it is not strong," he told reporters here.

"What is right and wrong with the bill, let us debate in public," he said as government prepared to introduce the bill in Lok Sabha.

Hazare's remarks came as a response to Gandhi's speech at Congress Parliamentary Party meeting yesterday during which she said the proposed legislation was strong and she was ready for a fight for it.

Continuing his attack on the government, Hazare said he will go ahead with his three-day fast from December 27 and then 'jail bharo' agitation against the "weak" bill which will not help the poor in their fight against corruption.

"I will be part of the group that will 'gherao' the residences of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi as part of our jail filling agitation," he said.

He said putting CBI out of Lokpal shows how the bill will be "useless".

"The biggest victims of corruption are the poor who have to pay bribes to get any work done. How will the commonman live like this? Out demand is that lower bureaucracy be brought under Lokpal," he said.

But, Hazare said the lower bureaucracy is being brought under Central Vigilance Commission which is under the control of government.

"How will the commonman get justice. Lower bureaucracy and CBI should be under Lokpal. Only then the bill will be in right form," he said.

Criticising the Grievance Redressal Bill, Hazare said the government does not have the intent to help people fight corruption.

"If a citizen has a complaint regarding a passport, he will have to go to grievance redressal officer. If he is not satisfied, he can approach the senior officer. If he does not get justice then he has to go state level and central level commissions.

"For just a passport, why would anyone take these many rounds of government offices," he said.

His close associate Kiran Bedi also stepped up attack on the UPA alleging it was not giving the control of CBI to the anti-corruption ombudsman as "skeletons of suspects" are lying buried in the agency's cupboards.

Team Anna has been very vocal about the proposal of the Lokpal not being given administrative control over CBI arguing that without an investigating arm, the ombdusman remains defunct.

"All skeletons of suspects are lying buried in CBI cupboards. Which is why government is keeping the key of administration with it and Lokpal away," Bedi tweeted.

"Generational change will not happen in our country till evidence in buried in files with CBI is exhumed and the corrupt brought to book....Politicians/Bureaucrats/Persons/who have skeletons in their cupboards will never let a strong Lokpal be passed," she said.

"Rationale of Lokpal is lost. It was for becoming an independent effective investigating agency not an enquiry Pal and weaken CBI," she added.

Pranav · Post by **Pranav** » 22 Dec 2011 20:22

Video of full Kejriwal press conference - http://khabar.ibnlive.in.com/news/64486/1

Scroll down on that page for embedded video. Worth looking at. This does indeed seem to be an extremely dangerous bill.

Muppalla · Post by **Muppalla** » 22 Dec 2011 21:18

The entire Anna's team has sucessfully helped the UPA governement. UPA has initially created its own spring revolution. The IT Vtty crowd thought it is their salt satyagraha moment and took the tricolor and started roaming on the streets. Meanwhile, the CWG, 2G and other host of scams are burried deep under by the government and media. Using the UPA's moles in SC they kept the already judged and reserved judgement from pronouncing it out. Now they created a bill that will just fail in the parliament and it is probably going to be defeated in RS. So no Lokpal for ever.

vijayk · Post by **vijayk** » 22 Dec 2011 23:42

Muppalla wrote:The entire Anna's team has sucessfully helped the UPA governement. UPA has initially created its own spring revolution. The IT Vtty crowd thought it is their salt satyagraha moment and took the tricolor and started roaming on the streets. Meanwhile, the CWG, 2G and other host of scams are burried deep under by the government and media. Using the UPA's moles in SC they kept the already judged and reserved judgement from pronouncing it out. Now they created a bill that will just fail in the parliament and it is probably going to be defeated in RS. So no Lokpal for ever.

Depressing. No hope for this nation. I think we are finished as a nation. We will be ruled a coterie of anti-national traitors who have taken over the nation with the help of CON media and they successfully subverted constitution, Supreme Court, CBI, EC. I see no hope or no future how this can be corrected unless there is a large scale revolution that eliminates these dangerous forces. I see the chances are next to nil.

Anantha · Post by **Anantha** » 23 Dec 2011 00:02

At this point after going thru 7 years of UPA, I believe Manmohan Singh's intentions towards India are suspect. He is running the agenda of some unknown powers sitting outside India. Nothing else can explain the low quality of performance this man's govt has shown, especially in the last 4 years. The minimum he could do is stand up like a man and resign and leave some legacy. If not he is going down as a worst leader India has had.

Pranay · Post by **Pranay** » 23 Dec 2011 00:16

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/indi ... 209498.cms

It seems patently clear that the Congress Party/Government are working to a script that will mire the Lokpal Bill in unnecessary controversy, thereby inducing and creating the confusion necessary to derail the bill.

They have brought in the totally extraneous and very incendiary issue of minority reservations in the Lokpal debate.

They have introduced it at the very end of this session of Parliament with exactly this in mind, that the clock will run out.

They introduced FDI in Retail in the middle of this session of Parliament, knowing fully well the controversy it will raise in parliament.

It is sad to see the pathetic arguments that the Congress / Government spokespersons and their minions keep on repeating on televised debates. These folks have taken the innate intelligence of the people of India for granted.

It seems that the people in power are, in the Lokpal case and as i have posted the article in the NE thread, in the case of Manipur, have abdicated their responsibility to the nation and its' people and seem to be actively subverting the nation from within.

Team Anna member Kiran Bedi today feared that the Lokpal Bill may go the Women's Reservation Bill's way as those in power are comfortable with status quo.

"What you are seeing is nothing unexpected. It may go the Women's Bill way. There is no unity, no consensus on the issue," she said reacting to the opposition from some political parties to the proposed legislation. Bedi said the bill was hurting those in power.

"It appears that statusquo suits those in position and power," she told reporters.

"This country needs a national government to deliver. Or else we shall keep sliding back. Can this happen in national interest?," she added.

Criticising the new bill, she said it needs a "wholesale rewrite" or else it shall be one "big liability". "When did people agitate for Enquiry Pal? Or a Lokpal to vet chargesheets filed by CBI? Or an agency to outsource investigation?" she added.

Suspense continued today over the venue of Anna Hazare's proposed 3-day fast from December 27 with NGO Jagruk Nagrik Manch filing a writ petition in the Bombay high court seeking direction to the state government to allot a place for the protest. The petition is likely to come up for hearing tomorrow.

"Maharashtra government is not giving us a place to protest peacefully so we had to file this petition with the Bombay HC," Himanshu Shah, who looks after legal matters of India Against Corruption, spearheading Hazare's anti-graft protests here, told PTI.

Jagruk Nagrik Manch is an affiliate of IAC. "When we wanted Azad maidan, we were told that we cannot sit there beyond 6 pm, and when we wanted MMRDA grounds we were asked to pay up in lakhs. We don't have that kind of money as we are a non profit making organization," he said, adding "This seems to be an attempt by the Delhi to ensure that we don't protest."

somaz · Post by **somaz** » 23 Dec 2011 00:30

Anantha wrote:At this point after going thru 7 years of UPA, I believe Manmohan Singh's intentions towards are suspect. He is running the agenda of some unknown powers sitting outside India. Nothing else can explain the low quality of performance this man's govt has shown, especially in the last 4 years. The minimum he could do is stand up like a man and resign and leave some legacy. If not he is going down as a worst leader India has had.

Actually, this mirrors a lot of how Zimbabwe took its rapid spiral downwards. Rajiv Gandhi and Mugabe were close personal friends and even when out of power Rajiv G attended NAM summit in Africa.

In the past 7 years , PUA & Sonia have slowly undermined every aspect of the social resilience. When NREGA & FSB she will achieve what The Food for Peace Act (FPA) also known as Public Law 480 or P.L. 480 could not do using Partheneum to wipe out agricultural productivity.

With the reservation spin , UPA will ensure lot of people will stay away from Anna's fast ..lets wait and watch . Although I have my own reservations, without Anna even this discussion would have been owned by empty vessels like Owasi

somaz · Post by **somaz** » 23 Dec 2011 00:42

Is Owaisi questioning how Women can exist in India as per out constitution ?

Pranav · Post by **Pranav** » 23 Dec 2011 07:12

Anantha wrote:At this point after going thru 7 years of UPA, I believe Manmohan Singh's intentions towards India are suspect. He is running the agenda of some unknown powers sitting outside India. Nothing else can explain the low quality of performance this man's govt has shown, especially in the last 4 years. The minimum he could do is stand up like a man and resign and leave some legacy. If not he is going down as a worst leader India has had.

He is the Kerensky whose stint is meant to pave way for direct rule by the Maino Bolsheviks, courtesy EVMs.

niran · Post by **niran** » 23 Dec 2011 09:05

Muppalla wrote:The entire Anna's team has sucessfully helped the UPA governement. UPA has initially created its own spring revolution. The IT Vtty crowd thought it is their salt satyagraha moment and took the tricolor and started roaming on the streets. Meanwhile, the CWG, 2G and other host of scams are burried deep under by the government and media. Using the UPA's moles in SC they kept the already judged and reserved judgement from pronouncing it out. Now they created a bill that will just fail in the parliament and it is probably going to be defeated in RS. So no Lokpal for ever.

somaz wrote:
With the reservation spin , UPA will ensure lot of people will stay away from Anna's fast ..lets wait and watch . Although I have my own reservations, without Anna even this discussion would have been owned by empty vessels like Owasi

sigh......! wat is it with Indians and their defeatist attitude?

mai baap, in a fisticuff does not both the sides get slapped, kicked, boxed? hainji? those who withstand it all and land the last punch wins those start wailing hai!hai! i was slapped this is the end there is no redemption all is lost loses. this si just the beginning, UPA threw their punch Indian public will answer it through Anna, wait and see.

Muppalla · Post by **Muppalla** » 23 Dec 2011 09:11

niran wrote: sigh......! wat is it with Indians and their defeatist attitude?

mai baap, in a fisticuff does not both the sides get slapped, kicked, boxed? hainji? those who withstand it all and land the last punch wins those start wailing hai!hai! i was slapped this is the end there is no redemption all is lost loses. this si just the beginning, UPA threw their punch Indian public will answer it through Anna, wait and see.

Huh!!!

somaz · Post by **somaz** » 23 Dec 2011 13:42

niran wrote:
Muppalla wrote:
sigh......! wat is it with Indians and their defeatist attitude?

...... UPA threw their punch Indian public will answer it through Anna, wait and see.

Hoping us Indians won't let ourselves down, although I am of the firm belief that irrespective of how we go for the next 2 years we will work it out.

Have been trying to come up with slogans that rhyme with "SONIA SUB CHORON KA RANI" .. so far nothing I can write home about

Lootliya Hamara Kaam aur Shanthi -SONIA SUB CHORON KA RANI

few more,

Garibon ka Khoon Choosna Wali - Sonia nae Hum sab ka Laelee

UPA main nahi hai Dhum - Anna Ka Saath hai Hum

chaanakya · Post by **chaanakya** » 23 Dec 2011 20:49

What is the basis of providing reservations in Lokpal Panel when Constitution does not provide religious basis for it?
Since when corruption issues are being handled with religious taint?
How religion can become qualifying factor for selection to Lokpal panel?
The game is obvious for all to see.

Pranay · Post by **Pranay** » 23 Dec 2011 20:58

http://www.ndtv.com/video/player/news/l ... ent/219236

Arvind Kejriwal elaborates eloquently on some loose ends...

Pranay · Post by **Pranay** » 23 Dec 2011 21:20

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/indi ... 221974.cms

Taking a dig at MPs, Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal today said he has little faith in Parliament after seeing the debate over Lokpal Bill in Lok Sabha.

"They say (MPs) 'have faith in Parliament'. My mother says 'have faith in Lord Shiva'. I now tend to agree more with my mother," Kejriwal tweeted.

He said he watched the debate in Parliament yesterday during the introduction of Lokpal "with great pain".

"Is this parliamentary democracy? Can it ever deliver India out of poverty, corruption and illiteracy?

"Is this Parliament really supreme? Are we to treat Lalu (Prasad), Mulayam (Singh Yadav), (Kapil) Sibal, P Chidambaram, and A Raja supreme? Will they ever allow strong anti-corruption law?" he said.

His remarks came as MPs, including RJD chief Lalu Prasad, attacked Team Anna and said government should not move in haste to pass the Lokpal Bill.

Yesterday, actor Anupam Kher had tweeted, "they have never been and they will never be serious about Lokpal. Heard Lalu Yadav. And they want to me to respect Parliamentarians."

Pranay · Post by **Pranay** » 23 Dec 2011 22:50

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/indi ... 222746.cms

One more indictment of the government/congress flavor of the lokpal Bill - by the CBI!

The CBI tonight said that its autonomy of investigation has been "seriously compromised" by the provisions in the Lokpal bill introduced in Lok Sabha yesterday.

A senior agency official, who did not want to be named, said financial and administrative autonomy should be granted to the CBI and the multiplicity of reporting by it should be reduced.

Officials felt that instead of giving greater autonomy to CBI, which was the stated purpose of the civil society agitation, its autonomy of investigation has been seriously compromised.

After the enactment of the Lokpal Bill, the CBI would be reporting to Lokpal, CVC, department of personnel and training and ministries of home and law.

Thus, he said, instead of gaining any functional autonomy, the CBI would now be required to report to one more authority than before.

This multiplicity of reporting would be a grave impediment in effective and efficient discharge of duties by CBI. This multiplicity of supervision can be taken care of only by providing more financial, administrative and legal autonomy to CBI.

The Lokpal alone should exercise general superintendence in cases referred by them.

Top CBI sources feel that Police' powers to decide the outcome of investigation and file police report before the court must be protected.

Pranay · Post by **Pranay** » 23 Dec 2011 22:53

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/indi ... 222833.cms

Anna Hazare today made it clear that he will go ahead with his three-day fast in Mumbai from December 27 at MMRDA ground for which he will organise the Rs 7 lakh rent through donations as the Bombay High Court rejected a petition seeking discounted rates for the protest venue.

"MMRDA will give some concessions and the ground hire cost will be Rs 7 lakh. The donations will be accepted only by cheque and draft. We will also keep tab on the donors," he said in Ralegan Siddhi.

Hazare said his close aides Arvind Kejriwal and Kiran Bedi will join him in his fast in Mumbai while another group of activists will go on hunger strike in Delhi in support for a strong Lokpal bill.

He said it was wrong on part of his supporters to approach the court seeking concession for the venue and that if they had sought his opinion, he would not have allowed them to seek judicial intervention.

"Azad Maidan's area is not enough. MMRDA has said they would reduce the rent. They said if your organisation is registered, then we will reduce the rate. People have already offered to donate Rs one-two lakh. If people are ready to donatre and MMRDA is ready to reduce the rent, I asked them (supporters) to take it," Hazare told reporters.

Pranay · Post by **Pranay** » 23 Dec 2011 23:58

http://www.timesnow.tv/Direct-Lokpal-lo ... 392136.cms

As battle lines are drawn on both sides over the question of bringing the CBI under the Lokpal's ambit the man who originally passed a judgment advocating autonomy for the CBI way back in 1997 says the investigative agency should not come under the thumb of either the government or the Lokpal. Former Chief Justice of India JS Verma -- completely backing the CBI's autonomy, says CBI's statutory duty cannot be interfered with. TIMES NOW's Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami discusses the issue with Justice JS Verma.

member_21708 · Post by **member_21708** » 24 Dec 2011 00:08

Pranay wrote:http://news.outlookindia.com/items.aspx?artid=745162

Hitting out at the government on the "useless" Lokpal Bill, Anna Hazare today challenged Congress chief Sonia Gandhi to a public debate on it to convince people that the proposed legislation is strong.

Hazare said the new Bill is of no use if the anti-corruption ombudsman does not have control over CBI and the lower bureaucracy is not brought under its direct control.

"Sonia Gandhi says the bill is strong. If it is so, let she come out and debate with us in front of media. Let people see it. Convince the people of the country that it is strong. We will explain how it is not strong," he told reporters here.

"What is right and wrong with the bill, let us debate in public," he said as government prepared to introduce the bill in Lok Sabha.

anxiously waiting for sonia's reply........

Pranav · Post by **Pranav** » 24 Dec 2011 00:21

If you look at Times of India and Rediff comments, there is a huge proliferation of our own version of the "50 cent brigade".

Also: Objectionable content: Google, Facebook, Yahoo get court summons - http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tech ... 222688.cms

RoyG · Post by **RoyG** » 24 Dec 2011 01:23

^Congress knows it doesn't have much time left. They are just getting desperate. It cant do much to stop the spread of "objectionable content" on the internet.

Pranay · Post by **Pranay** » 24 Dec 2011 01:48

http://outlookindia.com/article.aspx?279407

Texts of The Lokpal and Lokayuktas Bill, 2011 that was introduced along with a Constitutional (116th Amendment) Bill in the Lok Sabha today.

Pranay · Post by **Pranay** » 24 Dec 2011 04:53

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/indi ... 225624.cms

The UPA government on Friday said the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Bill 2011 was brought under Article 253 of the Constitution to fulfill India's international obligation arising from ratification of United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC).

By introducing the bill in Parliament, the UPA government has not breached the federal concept of governance nor has it intruded into the legislative domain of the states, telecom and HRD minister and legal eagle Kapil Sibal said.

Article 253, which figures in Chapter XI of the Constitution dealing with the sensitive issue of Centre-State relations, provides that nothing in the chapter would prevent Parliament "to make law for the whole country or any part of the territory of India for implementing any treaty, agreement or convention with any other country or countries or any decision made at any international conference, association or other body".

Sibal said, "We are not saying the law, if enacted by Parliament, would be a must for the states. The model law as incorporated in the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Bill is an enabling legislation for the state legislatures to adopt in its entirety or such of those provisions which they consider appropriate to adopt."

He referred to Section 64 of the bill and said the states have been given the option of bringing into force the Lokayukta from a date which they consider appropriate. "The states which already have Lokayukta Act may consider adopting better provisions of the central legislation," he said.

Though Article 253 empowered the Union government to bring in a bill to meet its commitments made in an international forum, the government sensed a misplaced yet immitigable outrage over the perceived attempt by the Centre to impose its law on the states in breach of federal system of governance and attempted to clarify the misgivings.

abhishek_sharma · Post by **abhishek_sharma** » 24 Dec 2011 07:51

Pranav · Post by **Pranav** » 24 Dec 2011 08:08

chaanakya wrote:What is the basis of providing reservations in Lokpal Panel when Constitution does not provide religious basis for it?
Since when corruption issues are being handled with religious taint?
How religion can become qualifying factor for selection to Lokpal panel?
The game is obvious for all to see.

Actually the proposed reservation in Lokpal should be discussed together with reservation in Supreme Court, CAG, Election Commission, rotating reservation for Presidency etc.

somaz · Post by **somaz** » 24 Dec 2011 10:46

The next step in reservation should be any group / community that has a reservation quota will not be eligible for the open quota(which might a miniscule percent soon like TN). Anyone mentioning Caste / Reigion on their application will be default have a quota applied on them (affirmative or excluded). Unless the honey pot of access without merit is destroyed this down spiral in all spheres of govt & society will remain.

Pranav · Post by **Pranav** » 24 Dec 2011 16:02

Winning polls will be befitting reply to Anna's campaign: Sonia - http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-new ... 86503.aspx

Not hard to arrange for, with control over EVMs ...