Om Puri, Kiran Bedi face lawmakers' fury

While Anna Hazare's indefinite hunger strike is over, his aide's troubles seem to be beginning. The Gandhian's key aide, Kiran Bedi, would face a privilege motion in Parliament along with actor Om Puri for their remarks taunting the MPs.

The motion would be taken up for discussion in the Rajya Sabha on Monday.

Om Puri had launched a no holds barred attack on politicians from the stage at Ramlila Maidan on Friday. He had called politicians crass and uneducated during his address to the crowd at Ramlila Maidan, where Hazare's anti-corruption movement was on last week.

The character actor had to be escorted off the stage by a volunteer as his speech got more and more personal and controversial.

"I feel ashamed when an IAS or IPS officer salutes a ganwar (illiterate) who is a neta (leader). We have more than 50 per cent ganwar leaders. Don't vote for them," Om Puri had said.

Bedi too took potshots at the members of Parliament accusing them of playing double standards. She mocked politicians and even slammed the BJP, which of late came round to support Hazare's Lokpal movement.

In her remarks against the MPs, Bedi had said, "Our politicians are hiding behind a mask. They think and speak. There has been no lathi-charge till now because of Anna. We don't know what will happen after he goes. Till now, Delhi Police is with us, but if they get any demands, we don't know what will happen. We have been tolerating for the past 60 years, how much more do we tolerate?"

Rajya Sabha Members Ram Gopal Yadav (Samajwadi Party) and Mohammed Adeeb (Independent) had moved the privilege motion against the duo for attacking parliamentarians on Saturday.

Hazare's health down but refuses hospitalization

With Anna Hazare's fast for a strong Lokpal Bill entering its eighth day today, India's top cardiac surgeon Dr Naresh Trehan, who is examining the veteran social activist's health condition, has said that his vital signs are worrying and the blood pressure is not normal.
Doctors earlier advised Hazare not to venture into the Sun as it could have a negative impact on his health.

Hazare has, however, refused to be admitted to the hospital.His blood count is deteriorating. And we suggested to him that he be shifted to hospital. But he outright refused. He (Hazare) said, 'I would rather die.'

Hazare said, 'I consulted my inner conscience... My inner conscience does not allow me to take saline drips.'

'It doesn't matter if I die,' he said, as aides standing near him bowed their heads, some with tears in their eyes.
'If I die, so many Annas will emerge,' he added, pointing his hand towards the roaring, flag-waving crowds.
'If they try to take me away forcibly, park yourself at the gates and don't let me taken away,' he said, as the mass of supporters again roared in his support.

'But there should be no violence,' Hazare went on. 'Whatever we do should be done non-violently. Violence is a crime.'

Speaking about Hazare's health, his key aide Manish Sisodia earlier in the day said that he had shed 600 grams of his weight.

"Look he (Anna Hazare) has not eaten anything since past seven days. He has become weak, but in the morning when doctors came for his check-up, his blood pressure was 124/82, his weight has decreased by 600 grams since yesterday and his current weight is now 66.4 kilograms. His pulse rate is 84. According to doctors his condition is stable although, he has become weak but he is not serious," said Sisodia.

The cardiologist said a team of specialists, including a cardiologist, kidney specialist and critical healthcare experts, were keeping a watch on Hazare.

The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, has also written a letter to Hazare urging him to end his fast.

Dr. Singh in his letter to Hazare said the government is committed to passing a constitutionally valid and the best possible Lokpal legislation with inputs from civil society with the broadest possible consensus.

Anna's village falls silent in protest against corruption

Anna Hazare's village Ralegan Siddhi, 75 km north of Pune, shut down completely for the second consecutive day.But it was abuzz with activities with villagers launching a series of agitations to protest against corruption in the country and also Hazare's arrest.They also observed a day of silence and fasting.

 Villagers carried an effigy of the Union government from the village state transport bus stand to the crematorium where it was burnt amid anti-government chants.

Hundreds of men, women and schoolchildren took part in the mock funeral procession.

Later in the day, around 600 villagers sat in silence in and outside the Yadavbaba temple, located in the centre of the village.

A motorcycle rally of around 200 youth from the neighbouring Nighoj village was organised as part of the protest. The youth later gathered in Ralegan Siddhi village to express their solidarity with the villagers.

The neighbouring villages around Ralegan Siddhi also organised their own protests on Wednesday.

Villagers, both young and old, held a three-hour ghantanaad (non-stop ringing of bells) at Jategaon near Ralegan Siddhi.

The Ralegan Siddhi villagers broke their fast at 5pm.

The day ended with a maashal rally through the streets of the village at 7.30pm followed by a gram sabha (meeting of the villagers) in Yadavbaba temple to decide the plan of action on Thursday.

Sakharam Raut, trustee of Anna Hazare's Hind Swaraj Trust, said he was happy with the swelling numbers in the village to join the agitation."Ralegan Siddhi experienced a charged atmosphere for a second day in a row. We had as many as 1,000 youth from the neighbouring villages and towns who came here to extend their support to Anna's cause," said Raut.

After the gram sabha meeting, Raut said the villagers had decided to keep their shops open only in the morning and late evenings on Thursday.

He added, "We have planned to hold a relay hunger strike on Thursday."

Anna Hazare to remain in Tihar till Ramlila Maidan is ready

Anna Hazare's health continues to be a matter of national concern. The member of Team Anna, Arvind Kejriwal, said a team of doctors would check on Anna Hazare just before his release from hospital. These reportedly would consist of doctors from a government hospital and those from Naresh Trehan's Vedanta Medicity.

''Anna Hazare's health is fine. A medical team from GB Pant hospital visited him on Wednesday evening. But he said that when jail doctors are taking care of him he does not need another medical team?''

Kejriiwal added that a medical team would be with Anna at all times, and that the Ramlila ground was being made ready for the Gandhian's purported fast to end corruption.       

''The Ramlila ground is being prepared. Only when it is ready to go, will Anna come out of Tihar jail. As things stands today, MCD has to prepare the grounds since it is full of muck. The ground has to be made ready because if the crowd reaches Ramlila grounds before we reach, it will be difficult to set up tents for them.

On Wednesday, defying the Delhi Police's earlier diktats, Anna Hazare had courted arrest demanding that he be allowed to fast without any conditions. After a late night meeting with the Delhi Police Commissioner B K Gupta, Team Anna said that the Gandhian had decided to accept the city police's offer permitting him to stage his protest for 14 days which could be extended later.

The leading player of the movement, Arvind Kejriwal said Anna Hazare will leave Tihar only when the Ramlila ground is ready. He will not move anywhere else. He will move straight from the jail to the Ramlila Maidan.

Anna remanded to 7 days judicial custody

After being detained under Section 107/151 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (for breach of peace), Anna Hazare was earlier produced in front of a special judicial magistrate, where he refused to sign the bail bond.

As per sources, he has been sentenced to seven days of judicial custody in Tihar jail along with six others from his team arrested in the morning.

Sources say that Hazare is being kept in Jail no 4 which is that same as former Commonwealth Games Organising Comittee chief Suresh Kalmadi. The other six, including Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia, are in Jail no 1 which is the same as the tainted former Telecom Minister A Raja.



Hazare and his aides including, Kiran Bedi and Arvind Kejriwal, were first taken to the Delhi Police Officers' Mess in North Delhi and were shifted to another after Hazare's supporters gathered in a large numbers at the Civil Lines areas.

Nearly 1400 activists were detained in various parts of the city when they came out in support of Hazare, who had planned to launch the fast at JP park near Ferozeshah Kotla and Delhi Police Commissioner BK Gupta said they would be released after "some time".

The social activist, who is campaigning for a legislation that will cover the Prime Minister, higher judiciary and MPs conduct within Parliament among other things, was later taken to Rajouri Garden police station in West Delhi where a Special Executive Magistrate remanded him to 7 days' judicial custody.

The decision to remand him came after Hazare refused to sign a personal bond undertaking that he will not defy the prohibitory orders and hold protests.

The 73-year old Gandhian was picked up at 7.30am from a flat where he was staying in Mayur Vihar in East Delhi after he refused to be persuaded by the Delhi Police officials who urged him not to undertake the fast since it would be in violation of prohibitory orders that were imposed last night.