Ajit Pawar's resignation must be accepted, says Arvind Kejriwal

Mumbai: Appealing Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan to accept the resignation of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, anti-corruption activist Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday also demanded sacking of state Water Resource Minister Sunil Tatkare.

He also said that India Against Corruption would take to the streets if Vijay Pandhare, Chief Engineer in state irrigation department, who blew whistle on the alleged irrigation scam, was harassed.

"Chavan is going through a test at the moment. He is facing a lot of pressure. The question is will he succumb to pressure and save his government by not accepting Ajit Pawar's resignation, or will he accept the resignation and pass the test," Mr Kejriwal said while addressing a press conference in Mumbai.

"His (Pawar's) resignation should be accepted, even if the Chief Minister is facing pressure from (Congress) High Command (not to accept it)."

"Even Tatkare should be asked to resign as his name has surfaced in the irrigation scam," said Mr Kejriwal, the former Team Anna member. Both Mr Pawar and Mr Tatkare belong to NCP.

Mr Kejriwal also said that resigning was not equivalent to undergoing a punishment. "They are exerting pressure by submitting resignations...they are blackmailing the people in the country. Resignation is not a punishment," he said.

Mr Kejriwal alleged that both CBI and state Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) were controlled by the government.
 
"Scams take place but nobody goes to jail. Instead they are granted bail. Even in this current scam of Rs. 70,000 crore, who will investigate? Both CBI and ACB are in the hands of the government."

Arvind Kejriwal's party a foolish project: Jethmalani

New Delhi: Coming out in support of Anna Hazare, noted lawyer Ram Jethmalani on Thursday termed as "foolish project" the decision of Arvind Kejriwal-led group to form a party and urged the veteran activist to focus only on corruption.

In an open letter to Anna, the Rajya Sabha MP also suggested Anna to fight against candidates of Opposition parties who "do not have a spotlessly clean image" for integrity and selfless service of the nation.

"I have learnt with great disappointment, almost consternation, that some of your colleagues want to start a new political party. I mean no disrespect to anyone but this is a foolish project almost certain to perpetuate corruption and the regime of corrupt rulers.

"I almost suspect this move has been instigated by these whom you want to displace and destroy," Mr Jethmalani said and assured his "cooperation and assistance at all limits" to Anna. However, the lawyer did not take the name of Mr Kejriwal.

Anna and his supporters on Wednesday parted ways with the Kejriwal-led group who were pitching for the movement forming a party and fight elections.

Claiming that Anna's work was "much more important" than his "some success" in the fight against corrupt, the lawyer suggested that the activist should concentrate on the "single issue of corruption" and intensify struggle to tackle practisioners of graft.

"A new political party cannot have a one-point manifesto. People would like to know its views on other issues affecting every section of the electorate. You will only create confusion and invite ridicule," Mr Jethmalani, who has filed a petition in Supreme Court on blackmoney issue, said.

He also said that Anna should not succumb to the attraction of minority vote banks and he should tell minorities that he will support those parties who will honestly support the recommendations of the Sachar Committee report. 

Anna Hazare confirms split, asks Arvind Kejriwal not to use his name or photo

New Delhi: The group once referred to as Team Anna officially split into two rival halves on Wednesday with 75-year-old Anna Hazare refusing to support the political ambitions of Arvind Kejriwal, who was considered his closest aide.

Anna, who was the face of the India Against Corruption (IAC) campaign, said his name and photo should no longer be used by Mr Kejriwal's faction. "My best wishes are with them," said Anna, adding, "Both of us have chosen separate paths."

At a nine-hour meeting in Delhi, that was often acrimonious, according to sources, the senior leaders of the IAC movement took sides. Anna's supporters allegedly said he had been exploited; the other side said that he had been propped up by leaders from Delhi, according to the Press Trust of India. Anna, who says launching a political party is not correct for the activists, was backed by Justice Santosh Hegde and former top cop Kiran Bedi. Anna also said that he will not campaign for the party being launched on October 2 by Mr Kejriwal and lawyer-activist Prashant Bhushan. He wants to focus his efforts on pressuring the government to introduce a tough new law against graft based on the Lokpal Bill, a legislation that he has lobbied for over two years, with Mr Kejriwal by his side.

Mr Kejriwal tweeted, "country is on sale. It is passing through very difficult phase. I will do everything possible for me to save my country."

Earlier this week, Mr Kejriwal and his associates released the results of a survey which showed that 76 per cent of respondents want the activists to enter politics. Anna rejected that poll. On Tuesday, he said that elections require huge funds, which will be tough for the activists to organise without compromising on their values. He also said that it would be tough to ensure that candidates are not corrupted if they are elected.

With Anna at its forefront and Mr Kejriwal as his right-hand man, the India Against Corruption campaign turned the Lokpal Bill into a national cause. Named for the national ombudsman it creates to tackle complaints of venality against public servants, the Bill has been passed by the Lok Sabha but failed to clear the Rajya Sabha. India was introduced to the Lokal Bill through large street demonstrations and sit-in camps, many of them held while Anna went on lengthy fasts. Over the last few months, however, the protests drew thin crowds. At the last session in August, the poor turnout emboldened the government to ignore the protest in Delhi; no effort was made to ask activists like Mr Kejriwal, who was on a hunger strike, to end his fast. After six days, with poor response, Mr Kejriwal said that the need of the hour appeared to be forming a political alternative. Anna immediately said he would not contest elections or join any party, but said he would support the new front. In the last few days, he has distanced himself completely from Mr Kejriwal's plans. 

After splitting with his team, Anna also had a hush-hush meeting with yoga guru Ramdev, reported Press Trust of India. The surprise meeting was held in a house in Golf Links of Delhi in which former Army Chief General VK Singh is believed to have been present.

(With PTI inputs)

Arrested cartoonist Aseem Trivedi granted bail, expected to come out of jail today

Mumbai: Cartoonist Aseem Trivedi, who was arrested over the weekend, has been granted bail by the Bombay High Court. He is currently at the Arthur Road jail in Mumbai and is expected to come out at around 3 pm today. Mr Trivedi had said that he would not apply for bail till sedition charges against him are dropped. His bail was granted with a personal bond of Rs. 5000 on the basis of an independent petition by a lawyer, who also asked the court to remove the accusations of sedition - the court said it will decide that on September 17.

"My son has not committed any crime , so let's not talk of accepting bail with a personal bond and conditions, all charges should be withdrawn against him and he should be released," Ashok Trivedi, the cartoonist's father, said yesterday.

The arrest of the 25-year-old cartoonist has provoked criticism at home and attention abroad with suggestions that it illustrates the government's increasing intolerance of dissent. "We are taking legal opinion. We will decide on the charges against Aseem Trivedi soon. We will ensure he is not charged wrongly," state Home Minister R R Patil had said.


Arvind Kejriwal and other anti-graft activists had threatened to start a protest outside the Arthur Road jail on Saturday if the accusations of sedition are not removed. Mr Kejriwal visited Mr Trivedi on Tuesday morning and said," MPs who disrespect the national emblem... official papers have national emblems printed on them ... they commit corruption and should be booked for sedition."

Mr Trivedi's supporters allege that he is being targeted by the government for supporting the anti-corruption movement championed by 74-year-old Anna Hazare and Mr Kejriwal.

The long-haired and bearded cartoonist has gone from little known to trending in a matter of days. His arrest is based on the complaint of a Mumbai lawyer who took umbrage at Mr Trivedi's anti-corruption cartoons, especially one that re-interpreted the Ashok Chakra national emblem - wolves replaced the three lions to show ravenous corruption. He has said, "If telling the truth makes me a traitor then I am one."

The Mumbai Police tried to reverse out of the controversy on Monday, telling a local court that they were done with questioning him and were surrendering custody. Mr Trivedi has been charged with allegedly uploading "ugly and obscene" matter on his web portal and putting up objectionable banners insulting the Indian Constitution during an Anna Hazare protest in Mumbai last year.

The government, on the back foot, has said people cannot be allowed to "cross the line." Minister for Information and Broadcasting Ambika Soni said, "We are not against democratic rights, we are all for free speech... people have made cartoons of Nehru, Indira earlier. But there is a thin line you draw between free speech and what can be termed as offensive especially against national symbols." 

Coal-gate: Raided coal firms had been tipped off, claims Arvind Kejriwal; incorrect, says CBI

New Delhi: Anti-corruption activist Arvind Kejriwal has alleged that companies who were raided earlier this week for landing coal fields by misreporting facts were secretly warned that CBI investigators would soon be arriving at the homes and offices of executives.  Irregularities in the allocation process are an important charge in the coal scandal that has become a huge political crisis, with Parliament more or less paralysed by the opposition BJP, which says it will not stop noisy disruptions till the PM accepts responsibility for "coal-gate" and resigns.

Mr Kejriwal tweeted this morning, "Received mail from an officer in one of raided coms.  They were informed two days in advance about raids and were asked to remove all materials."  The CBI has said that's incorrect. In a statement it clarified that the agency "categorically denies as completely false" the allegation made by the activist, who plans to launch a political party on October 2.

Earlier this week, the CBI registered cases against five private companies who were given coal blocks while they were apparently ineligible for them. The agency believes that bureaucrats and others who were part of a committee that screened applications colluded with the companies. Among a group of about 20 people who are accused of charges ranging from criminal conspiracy to cheating are Congress MP Vijay Darda, his brother Rajendra Darda who is a minister in the Maharashtra government, and an entrepreneur named Manoj Jayaswal who partnered with Mr Darda in setting up two companies, both of which were raided.  Both Vijay and Rajendra Darda have denied that they used their political clout to help their firm land coal blocks. 

The CBI says that companies deliberately misreported their net worth and their technical expertise. For instance, Navbharat Power, which was given two coal blocks in Odisha, projected a net worth of one lakh crores by showing short-term MoUs or agreements with two international power majors when they filed their application.

So Navbharat said it had a Memorandum of Understanding or MoU for 90 days with a Singapore-based company, which placed its net worth at about 2000 crores.  Then it showed an MoU with another global power, pushing its net worth to one lakh crores. However,  Navbharat produced no documents to prove these deals.

The CBI is looking at whether officials who sanctioned coal blocks deliberately over-looked these sort of glaring lapses.  In some cases, stake-holders in firms sold equity after their firms were given coal fields, which was against the rules, but made them huge profits.

(With Inputs from Agencies)

Kejriwal, activists to protest outside Parliament police station today

Alleging harassment of volunteers of India Against Corruption, Arvind Kejriwal and others will today stage a protest outside Parliament Street police station in New Delhi and offer arrest.

Mr Kejriwal and other leaders of the IAC will arrive at the police station and demand that the volunteers detained during August 26 protest should not be subjected to harassment in the name of collecting evidence.

Five cases of rioting have been registered against Arvind Kejriwal, Prashant Bhushan, Manish Sisodia, Kumar Vishas, Gopal Rai and several unknown people for their protest against the coal block allocation.

Bibhav Kumar, an IAC member, said "they will not take bail but will go to jail".

He alleged that police, who were summoning the volunteers on the pretext of collecting evidence in the cases, were harassing them.

"Kejriwal and other leaders will tell police that they can arrest them but not harass people," Mr Kumar said.