Arvind Kejriwal renews attack on 'criminal' MPs

Striking a defiant note, Arvind Kejriwal on today replied to the privilege notices served on him for "insulting" Parliament, saying how can he respect the institution which has MPs with "criminal background".

The Team Anna member alleged that all the parties are responsible for bringing Parliament to disrepute as 162 MPs with criminal background have managed to get into it.

"There was a Parliament in which Lal Bahadur Shastri resigned (from the post of railway minister) following a train accident. I would like to sacrifice anything for such a Parliament but how will I respect Parliament of present days," Kejriwal said in the letter.

He also alleged that industrialists, who were not known for any public service, have managed to get into Parliament with the help of various parties.

"They enter Parliament to further their business interest. If this is not misuse of Parliament, if this is not insult to Parliament then what is it," he asked.

Besides Congress MP Sajjan Singh Verma, RJD MPs Rajniti Prasad and Ram Kripal Yadav had served a privilege notice against Kejriwal for calling MPs "rapists, murderers and looters" during an election campaign rally last month.

The Lok Sabha Secretariat has sought reply from Kejriwal following the receipt of the notices.

"Received privilege notices from Rajniti Prasad and Ram Kripal Yadav also...Rajniti Prasad is the same MP who tore the Lokpal Bil in Parliament. Did he insult Parliament or did I insult Parliament?" Kejriwal had tweeted after he got the notices.

Earlier in September last year, Kejriwal was served a notice for making "derogatory" remarks against Parliamentarians during Hazare's agitation in Ramlila Maidan.

"In this Parliament, 163 members have cases of heinous offences against them. In this Parliament, rapists are sitting, murderers and looters are sitting. How can you expect Jan Lokpal Bill to be passed by Parliament? How can you expect that you can get reprieve from poverty and corruption," Kejriwal had said on February 25.

Talking to reporters today, Kejriwal also said that Team Anna will soon write to the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh providing evidence against 14 Union Cabinet ministers whom he had named as "corrupt".

Hazare had set a deadline of August to register FIR against these ministers and warned the government that they will launch 'jail bharo' agitation, if it is not done.

Parliament censures Team Anna

 Lok Sabha on Tuesday condemned Team Anna for "lowering the dignity" of Parliament after a resolution was moved over which members cutting across party line slammed the activists for using derogatory language against MPs.

"Any remark lowering the dignity and esteem of this august House is unwarranted and totally unacceptable," Speaker Meira Kumar said summing up the sense of the House, after a brief discussion.

She said members of the House undergo rigorous scrutiny by the Election Commission under the provisions of Representation of People Act, Model Code of Conduct and other legal requirements while filing their nomination for election.

"After meticulously assessing their conduct and performance, the people of India, in their wisdom, elect them. The Parliament, therefore, reflects the collective will of the people of our country," the Speaker said.

Led by JD-U leader Sharad Yadav, members from all political hues came together in Lok Sabha to attack Team Anna for using derogatory language against parliamentarians. Some of them even said that those who levelled attack against the temple of democracy should be summoned in the House to punish them.

Moving a resolution against the civil society members, Yadav said the Speaker should take suo motu action against them for their utterances against democratic institutions.

Describing Parliament as a "supreme institution", SP leader Mulayam Singh Yadav said those civil society members who challenged its authority should be "summoned and taken to task". He requested consensus among members on the issue.

Speaking in the Lok Sabha today JD(U) president Sharad Yadav said that, “ People have seen what has been happening and what Team Anna has been speaking. I am worried that if the Parliament is not respected then where will the country go?

“A trend has started in the country to denigrate the politicians. Yes, the public has a right to be angry at us. But there should be a limit to it,” he added.

Directly attacking Team Anna, the JD(U) said that a kind of pessimism is being spread in the country in the wrong manner. Nonetheless, he accepted that fight against corruption should go on but in the right manner.

He also accepted that no everyone is of high morals in the Parliament. “There have been people in this House who have not been deserving of the place.” “But to disrespect the temple of democracy is not the right thing to do,” Sharad Yadav added.

“I do not object to the attack by Team Anna at us but no one should attack the institution of democracy,” he told the House.

The alleged inflammatory remarks made by Team Anna led to a huge uproar in both the Houses of Parliament on Monday and finally led to their adjournment.

Reacting to these allegations, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj had said, “Team Anna has lost its focus, crossed all limits."

Swaraj, whose party had supported Anna Hazare's call for the Lokpal Bill, even advised Team Anna to maintain its integrity.

Congress MP Sanjay Nirupam had also endorsed the views expressed by Swaraj and Yadav and said, “Team Anna members call themselves the representatives of civil society but they have themselves used unparliamentary language. They have conducted themselves in a highly irresponsible and uncivilized manner."

Team Anna landed in a fresh controversy after key team members including Arvind Kejriwal, Kiran Bedi and others made derogatory remarks against the Parliamentarians during Anna Hazare’s day-long fast at New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on Sunday.

Anna Hazare, while addressing his supporters, also warned that the government should be prepared to be voted out of power in 2014 if it does not pass the Lokpal Bill, which provides for a national anti-corruption agency.

Will Parliament censure Team Anna?

Team Anna, which had lost support of opposition parties for making derogatory remarks against the parliamentarians, might face a censure motion for denigrating the constitutional supremacy of Parliament and putting the politicians in a bad light.

Reports, Today, claimed that a Censure Motion could be moved by Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar against Team Anna as demanded by the opposition BJP and JD(U).

Opposition MPs from BJP and the JD(U) yesterday demanded a Parliamentary resolution against Team Anna to condemn the uncivilized language used by them against the parliamentarians, saying that they have deviated from the fight against corruption.

The political parties including BJP, JD(U), SP and others yesterday warned the civil society members to refrain from making such defamatory remarks against the Parliamentarians who are the most vital part of the institution of democracy and termed the statements as unfortunate.

The alleged inflammatory remarks made by Team Anna led to a huge uproar in both the Houses of Parliament and finally led to their adjournment yesterday.

Reacting to these allegations, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj said, “Team Anna has lost its focus, crossed all limits."

Swaraj, whose party had supported Anna Hazare's call for the Lokpal Bill, even advised Team Anna to maintain its integrity.

On his turn, Janta Dal (U) chief Sharad Yadav termed Team Anna’s allegation as an attack on the institution of Parliament. He criticized them for referring to politicians as murderers.

Congress MP Sanjay Nirupam also endorsed the views expressed by Swaraj and Yadav and said, “Team Anna members call themselves the representatives of civil society but they have themselves used unparliamentary language. They have conducted themselves in a highly irresponsible and uncivilized manner."

Team Anna landed in a fresh controversy after key team members including Arvind Kejriwal, Kiran Bedi and others made derogatory remarks against the Parliamentarians during Anna Hazare’s day-long fast at New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on Sunday.

Anna Hazare, while addressing his supporters, also warned that the government should be prepared to be voted out of power in 2014 if it does not pass the Lokpal bill, which provides for a national anti-corruption agency.

Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal calls MPs robbers, rapists

Key Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal’s comments here on Saturday terming the Parliamentarians 'robbers' and 'rapists' have sparked off a huge controversy with the entire political class coming down heavily on the noted social activist.

In a public awakening programme here yesterday, Kejriwal said all types of bad elements including robbers and rapists have overpowered Parliament.

“The fight would be to overhaul Parliament's character, which has become a big problem for us - the people of India,” Kejriwal said.

"We should have no illusions about any change happening after the (UP) elections. The final outcome will be that the public would be defeated. Now, the fight initiated to bring the Jan Lokpal Bill has been widened to change the entire system," he added.

Kejriwal, scathing in his criticism of political parties, said: "All political parties are corrupt. They are fighting to grab the seat to loot. They are not concerned for the growth and the development of the country. Today, the Congress is crying for not being able to loot the state exchequer. Otherwise, it had ruled the state for about 40 years in the past.

"The BJP is also in the same bracket. It did nothing to check corruption in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Himanchal Pradesh and Karnataka. All the political parties are fighting for their share in the loot," he said.

The remarks did not go down well with the political circle and politicians from different parties have strongly criticised Kejriwal for showing disrespect to Parliament.

The BJP, which has been supporting Team Anna, too came out with strong words against the RTI activist.

“I haven't seen his comments, but if he has made such remarks, it's unfortunate,” party spokesperson and MP Prakash Javadekar reportedly said.

“It could be seen as an attempt to denigrate Parliament and MPs will raise this matter during the upcoming Budget Session. People who denigrate Parliament are denigrating democracy,” the BJP leader added.

CPI leader Gurudas Dasgupta said Kejriwal’s comments are nothing but to denigrate Parliament.

Congress spokesperson Rashid Alvi told that such comments against Parliament are unfortunate.

“Such remarks are an insult to the Parliament, which would weaken the democracy,” Alvi said, adding that it’s all being said for cheap publicity.

Reacting to Kejriwal’s comment RJD has said that it will bring privilege notice against Kejriwal during the budget session of Parliament.

"Kejriwal has not only insulted Parliamentarians, but Parliament and the electorate as well by referring to the MPs as rapists, murderers and looters at an election rally at Ghaziabad yesterday," RJD general secretary Ram Kripal Yadav said.

"Kejriwal has lost his mental balance and needs to be sent to a mental asylum," he said and urged the Centre to immediately arrest him on sedition charges.

However, Yoga guru Baba Ramdev backed Kejriwal, stating that though the activist's choice of words could be objected to, his contention was "absolutely right".

"There can be objection to the language or words used by Kejriwal but his contention is absolutely right," Ramdev said at a news conference after observing a day-long fast against illegal mining and corruption in Goa.

"There is no doubt in what Kejriwal said. When we can elect MPs then why can't we have a right to speak against them," he said.

Team Anna back start its campaign in five poll-bound states from today

Vowing not to seek votes for or against any single party, Team Anna is due to kick-start its campaign in five poll-bound states from Uttarakhand on today.

Members of Team Anna, including Arvind Kejriwal, Kiran Bedi and Kumar Vishwas, will campaign for a strong Lokpal Bill, against corruption and other issues such as caste and religion in the five states. Their first stop is Haridwar in Uttarakhand today.

They will also visit Dehradun, Rudrapur, Almora and Haldwani in the state.

Notably, Anna Hazare will not be taking part in the campaign in all five states.

On Friday, Team Anna released a campaign pamphlet for the upcoming polls in which it attacked the Congress accusing it of betraying the country on Lokpal issue.

The four-page pamphlet, titled 'Your Vote can Change the History of India -- Betrayal by Central Government on the Country', also targeted Rahul Gandhi, Mulayam Singh Yadav and Mayawati to question them on Lokpal and land acquisition.

The BJP was also posed questions. However, Team Anna members Arvind Kejriwal and Prashant Bhushan told a press conference that their campaign is not against or in favour of a party but on "important" issues like corruption, Lokpal and land acquisition.

When pointed out that the title of the pamphlet betrays the claims of not targeting a party, Kejriwal shot back, "Hasn't the government cheated the whole country?" Bhushan said they will raise the issues on Lokpal and what all parties did to the Lokpal Bill.

The pamphlet has listed "six betrayals" on the issue of Lokpal by Central government while another page titled "Congress' strong Lokpal Bill" cites the "deficiencies" in the anti-corruption law. Six questions were raised to all political parties which include whether they agree that the Lokpal Bill is weak, CBI should be independent of government control and whether they will oppose the bill in Parliament.

The parties were also asked about their stand on land acquisition bill. Making the campaign personal, Team Anna also sought answers from Rahul Gandhi on whether Congress will dare to bring a strong Lokpal Bill on the lines of Lokayukta Act in BJP-ruled Uttarakhand.

Team Anna members would also visit Srinagar on January 24 and a few other parts of the state on January 27 and 28.

Team Anna invites Baba Ramdev for poll campaigning

Team Anna has invited yoga guru Baba Ramdev to campaign along with it in the upcoming Assembly polls in Uttarakhand.

The Uttarakhand Assembly is going to polls on January 30.

Team Anna is campaigning in all poll-bound states against corruption and for a strong Lokpal Bill.

The invitation to Baba Ramdev comes just days after he became the target of an ink attack in New Delhi.

Baba Ramdev has been campaigning against black money for quite some time.

Team Anna not to target Congress during polls

Taking cue from past mistakes and fast waning popular support, anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare on Tuesday declared that Team Anna will not target the Congress government during its campaign for a strong Lokpal Bill in the five poll-bound states.

The veteran Gandhian also said that team Anna will tour all five-poll bound states extensively to create awareness among people about the Lokpal Bill.

Confirming the development, key Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal said, “Anna Hazare ji has agreed to the Core Committee’s decision not to target any political party during our campaign for a strong Lokpal bill in five poll-bound states.”

“We have decided to tour all five poll-bound states,” he added.

To a question whether Anna Hazare will also campaign in these states, he said, “Anna has said once he recovers fully from his ailments, he will extend his support to the Lokpal campaign.”

Kejriwal also refuted allegations that Team Anna has suffered heavily due to its aggressive anti-Congress stance by saying, “We were never anti-Congress.”

The decision comes a day after the Core Committee of Team Anna yesterday met in Ghaziabad to assess the political situation and chalk out a plan on how to keep up the pressure over the Lokpal issue without targeting any political party.

The meeting came against the backdrop of poor public response to Hazare's agitation in Mumbai and Delhi in the last week of December and taunts from Congress on its anti-Congress plank.

Team Anna members Arvind Kejriwal and Prashant Bhushan also travelled to Hazare's village Relegan Siddhi in Maharashtra and apprised him of the outcome of the Core Committee's eight-hour meeting that took place yesterday.

The Lokpal movement has come to a faux pass after the UPA government evaded a vote on Lokpal Bill in Raj Sabha and Anna suspended his Mumbai fast due to ill health and poor public response.

Anna Hazare ends fast, cancels jail bharo campaign

Smarting under poor response and bad health, Anna Hazare called off his fast a day ahead of schedule and repeated his threat to campaign against Congress in the five poll-bound states for not brining a strong Lokpal.

The 74-year-old activist made the surprise announcement midway through his three-day fast at MMRDA grounds which reported poor attendance of people for the second continous day, in stark contrast the mass swelling in Delhi earlier this year during his three fasts.

Hazare did not make any reference to the earlier plans of coming to Delhi for a dharna of the residence of Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi and about the jail bharo agitation (filling up of jails) after that.

"...Whatever we are seeing today in Parliament is tragic. So I have decided to call off the fast today. There is only one way now. We will make a programme in the five states and go and awaken people there. I will tell them don't vote for traitors," he told a sparsely attended protest meeting in the afternoon.

"Now two years are left for the general elections. In between, I will go to various parts of the country and keep awakening the people till next general elections," he said.

The ending of the fast by Hazare, who was having fever of 100 degree F, came doctors advised him to call off his protest saying continuing it will lead to kidney failure.

Hazare said he was already fasting four days before the start of the protest strike yesterday here.

Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal replying to questions from media also said that they have withdrawn the proposed jail bharo campaign for the time being, but will campaign against the Congress in the forthcoming assembly elections in 5 states.

Govt Vs Team Anna on Lokpal Bill

Anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare on Wednesday outrightly rejected the Lokpal draft prepared by the government and said that he will go ahead with his fast and 'jail bharo' agitation from December 27.

Speaking to reporters on the Lokpal issue, the 74-old Gandhian said, “The UPA government has cheated all of us on the Lokpal issue and the people of this country will teach a lesson to it for failing to bring a strong anti-graft legislation to curb corruption.”

Anna said the ombudsman would not be strong and effective if the premier investigation agency was not kept under it.

"If the CBI is outside then how will the Lokpal be strong. This system will save corrupt politicians. If CBI comes under Lokpal then P Chidambaram would be in jail. You are saving corrupt politicians and say it is a strong Lokpal," he said.

Rejecting the bill, Anna also took strong exception to government bringing a separate Citizens' Charter Bill, saying a common man will have to run from pillar to post to get his grievances redressed under the proposed system.

"It is cheating people who will teach them a lesson," Hazare said.

"How can the Lokpal be effective when Citizens Charter is out of its purview? A person will have to go through various levels for redressal of his grievances.What to do? It’s like fooling people," he said.

The activist said he will visit all five poll-bound states and let people know about the misdeeds of the government. "Ahead of General Election, we will visit the whole country and tell people about the government," he said.

Endorsing Anna’s viewpoint, his close aide Kiran Bedi said, “By rejecting the demands made by the civil society, which included bringing the PM and the CBI under the purview of the Lokpal, the government has drafted a weak anti-graft legislation that will be of little help.”

The former IPS officer said, “By narrowing the ambit of the Lokpal and changing the charter of the CBI, the government is increasing its discrepancies and making it more vulnerable. So far, we had been demanding the inclusion of the CBI in Lokpal but now onwards we will launch a campaign to save the probe agency.”

Bedi also made a scathing attack on the opposition parties, especially the BJP, for changing its stance on the Lokpal issue.

She also dared the main opposition party to join hands with Team Anna if it is so serious in fighting corruption in public life.

Referring to Advani’s campaign against the black money, Bedi said, “Will Advani ji join his campaign against black money with Anna’s campaign against corruption?”

Clearly, the Team Anna has upped the ante against the UPA government for not delivering what it promised to weed out corruption.

Another key Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal also slammed the government for drafting a weak Lokpal Bill.

“The draft bill prepared by the government will do more harm than good. A weak Lokpal will be of no help to the common man. All efforts should be made to block its passage in the Parliament,” he said.

Kejriwal also charged the government to be involved neck-deep in corruption so it lacks the will to fight corruption.

“The government’s decision to bring a separate Citizen Charter proves the point that it is not serious in fighting corruption. The CBI should have been brought under the purview of the Lokpal, but the government is not willing to do so. This means its intentions are not clear,” the RTI activist concluded.

Reactions from Team Anna came shortly after UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi Congress president Sonia Gandhi batted for the anti-graft legislation cleared by the Union Cabinet and asked the civil society and the Opposition to accept it.

Anna rejects separate law for citizen’s charter

A day after the government approved the Grievances Redressal Bill, Anna Hazare on Wednesday said the Prime Minister had gone back on his assurance that citizen’s charter would be made part of Lokpal Bill.

The Union Cabinet had last night passed a slew of anti-graft bills to tackle corruption at high places, including the Judicial Standards and Accountability Bill, the Grievances Redressal Bill and the Whistleblowers' Protection Bill.

Hazare however said it was wrong to have a separate legislation for citizen’s charter in the form of Grievances Redressal Bill.

He also asked West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to come forward and make her party’s stand on Lokpal clear, like she did in the case of FDI in retail.

Meanwhile, Team Anna's core committee is meeting for two days beginning today to chalk out future plans, including the proposed Ramlila Maidan agitation, if a strong Lokpal Bill is not passed in the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament.

Hazare will chair the meeting which is expected to take a final call on his decision to go on an indefinite fast from December 27 if a Lokpal law which addresses his concerns is not passed in Parliament.

Team Anna sources said the core committee will also discuss how to go ahead with their campaign in the five poll-bound states if the situation warrants. "There will be preliminary discussions on all these issues," a Team Anna member said.

Sources said the core committee will decide on the mode of Ramlila agitation like whether Hazare should sit on a fast or not and how to mobilise support for the protest, which will be held in chilly winter days.

There are also concerns about Hazare's health and all these factors will be considered while deciding on the protest mode, sources said.

Hazare has stepped up attack on the government on the issue bringing Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in the direct line of fire, saying the former "does not take any decision" and the latter was "watering down" proposals.

Congress has been insisting that Hazare should wait till Parliament passes the bill before going on a protest.

Team Anna rejects Parl panel’s Lokpal draft

While stressing that he has not yet seen the Parliamentary Standing Committee’s recommendations on the Lokpal Bill, Arvind Kejriwal said on Tuesday that if the reports about Team Anna’s key demands having been rejected are true then the Centre is clearly going back on its promise.

As per the details available with the press, the committee has recommended keeping the judiciary, MPs' conduct in House and lower bureaucracy out of the Lokpal purview, besides rejecting the demand for hiving off the prosecution wing of CBI to come under its jurisdiction.

“We have not seen the standing committee report but why are the judiciary and the lower bureaucracy being kept out of the purview of the Lokpal?” he questioned.

He said that as per the ‘sense of the house’ resolution passed by the Parliament, the lower bureaucracy had to be kept under the Lokpal.

“Ration theft is being done by group C and D employees, as is also the case with the irregularities in MNREGA…Now they will be free to do corruption. 95% of corruption cases will be out if lower bureaucracy not included,” he said. The panel has favoured the inclusion of Group B, along with Group A officials.

Vis-a-vis Team Anna's demand for scrapping Article 311 of the Constitution that gives protection to government servants against summary dismissal, the draft report favours a "close and careful relook" to ensure major obstacles in taking legitimate departmental action against delinquent officials are eliminated.

The report said bureaucratic corruption has been relatively ignored in the context of excessive media and civil society focus on political corruption, coupled with the doctrine of civil service anonymity, which India imported from the colonial rule.

Speaking to reporters, Kejriwal also added that the non inclusion of the key elements of the Citizen’s Charter is also a U-turn by the government.

In CBI being not brought under the Lokpal, he said, “The country knows how CBI has being misused by political parties to meet political ends,” he said, adding that the government appears unwilling to let go of controlling the CBI.

Besides the above mentioned contentious issues, the draft document has not also taken a position on inclusion of Prime Minister in the ambit of Lokpal. The issue will be considered when the panel meets tomorrow.

Various options, including inclusion of Prime Minister with safeguards and coverage after demitting office, have been suggested.

Kejriwal said, “It (government’s Lokpal Bill) will be an empty tin box.”

The draft report on the bill, which has been circulated to members and would come up for finalisation on tomorrow, favours Lokpal's jurisdiction over corporates, media and NGOs in so far as receipt of donations from public within the country or from foreign sources.

Kejriwal disagreed on this point as well and opined that corruption in media and NGOs should be checked by a different mechanism.

On whether the whole Anna movement is back at square one, Kejriwal was guarded in his response. He said, “Let us wait and watch. It would be immature to comment.