New Delhi, August 24
There is still a lot to come on the controversial Lokpal Bill, it seems. With the anti-corruption movement led by Anna Hazare reaching its pinnacle, various sections of society have started showing up with their own views on the issue.

A group of protestors under the banner of the All- India Confederation of Schedule Castes and Schedule Tribes today surfaced at the India Gate. Raising anti-Anna slogans, the protestors introduced their own version of the Bill called the Bahujan Lokpal Bill, which is the fourth draft of the Bill.

The protestors, numbering a few hundred, mainly belonged to schedule castes, schedule tribes and other backward classes.

The rally, Save the Constitution, was held at the India Gate with slogans like 'Anna hosh mein aao, samvidhan se mat takrao' and 'jo samvidhan se takrayega, who chur chur ho jayega'.

The front, which is being viewed as parallel to Anna's team, said no party or individual could challenge the Constitution.

"Our Bhujan Lokpal Bill demands the inclusion of media, non-government organisations and the corporate sector. The Dalits or the minority communities constitute a large part of the Indian population, how can the Anna-led civil society claim to be the representative of the entire country without involving them?" asked the organisation's president, Udit Raj.

Raj said the government's version of the Lokpal Bill and Team Anna's Jan Lokpal Bill had various shortcomings.

"Who is accountable for Anna's Jan Lokpal Bill? It cannot be above Parliament. The way Anna is holding the government to ransom is unconstitutional," he said.

"There should be a debate on the issue. Anna should have also roped in people from the backward and minority communities. He did not involve representatives from these communities," Raj said.

"We want to know what Anna has to say on reservation. Why there is no reservation for Dalits in the Lokpal Bill. Reservation is important because the caste prejudices of the members would work against the weak and vulnerable. Even the members of the Lokpal may be subjected to caste and religious prejudices," he said.

New Delhi, August 24
There were traffic jams at several locations in Delhi today due to thousands of Anna Hazare's supporters arriving at the Ramlila Maidan to express their solidarity with him on the ninth day of his indefinite hunger strike.

Hazare's supporters thronged the Ramlila Maidan after the crusader said that people should force the government to table the Jan Lokpal Bill in Parliament.

He told his supporters "to intensify the protest and gherao the residents of MPs if the government does not pass the Jan Lokpal Bill by August 30".

The traffic jams in the areas around the Ramlila Maidan, India Gate, Tilak Marg, Connaught Place, Vikas Marg, Barakhamba Road, etc increased in the evening, when his supporters were arriving at the fasting venue in motorcycles and cars.

"There were jams near India Gate, ITO, Ashok Road, Lajpat Nagar, Kalindi Kunj, Sarita Vihar in the evening. They were due to Hazare's supporters coming from different locations in Delhi," said a traffic police official.

This caused problems for people who had left their offices in the evening. Many people had to walk from India Gate to ITO to board buses for the Trans-Yamuna colonies.

Raghubir Thakur, who works in a government department on Shahjahan Road, said that he had waited for 30 minutes in an autorickshaw on the roundabout of India Gate. When he saw that traffic was stationary, he came out from the vehicle and walked to ITO.

Anis Ahmed who was going to Karol Bagh from Connaught Place had the same story to tell. He had to cover a 15-minute drive in an hour.

New Delhi, August 24
The condition of 74-year-old Anna Hazare remained stable till late evening and all his vitals were normal, said a team of doctors.

With the Gandhian entering the ninth day of his fast today, a team of doctors from Medanta Medicity along with paramedics has been constantly monitoring his condition and his fluid intake has been increased to four litres.

Thanks to his willpower, doctors say it wouldn't be surprising if he had to pull his fast for more days as the old fighter is known to have remained on similar fast for 15 days.

"He was having 2.5 litres of water and now we are giving him four litres. He is stable and his other vital parameters remain to be the same. The reason for his stable health could be his willpower that has kept him going. He has been on long fast earlier and who knows he may do it for the second time," said Dr Balram Gupta, doctor who has been a part of his check-ups since the first day.

Normally, a healthy person can pull it for three weeks, says medical literature and in the case of Anna, his body has been utilising reserved fats for energy after glucose level dipped.

Briefing Anna's supporters after his late evening check-up, chairperson and director of Medicity, Dr Naresh Trehan, said, "Anna is better than yesterday, his blood test report has revealed. His heart rate and blood pressure are normal. Our team will check him again at night. We advised him to take rest."

After Anna refused intravenous drips, suggested by doctors yesterday, keeping in mind the increased level of ketones in blood and urea, his health has become a point of concern not only to his supporters but also to the Congress-led UPA government.

Earlier, given his failing health, the Gandhian leader’s blood samples were sent for diagnosis and they have showed the parameters at the same level.

The team of doctors, comprising three in the day and two at night has been constantly monitoring his condition, said Dr Trehan. 

New Delhi, August 24
Unrest, curiosity and nail-biting tension gripped Anna Hazare's supporters at the Ramlila Maidan today. While on the one hand, there was optimism about the possibility of a deal being reached between the government and Team Anna, on the other hand, the supporters were worried over Anna's deteriorating health.

With no breakthrough till the evening, people were visibly disturbed and most said they would go to any extremes to keep Anna's movement alive.

"There is no question of leaving the Maidan till Anna's demands are met," most of them said.

"Negotiations between the government and Team Anna have been going on through the day. But Anna's fast continues, though his health is deteriorating by the hour. People have been offering prayers for his health. But at the same time, we feel that if he compromises, all the efforts will go in vain. We deserve a strong Lokpal Bill.," said Madhu Jha, a supporter who was on fast today for Anna's health.

Tension grew after Anna last night refused to take saline drip, saying his conscience does not allow him to do so.

"We will stay here till Anna wants us to be here. We will not budge until he gets what he wants. It is the ninth day today and he is struggling to even sit straight. The least we can do is stay with him. He has asked us not to let the movement die even if pressure is created. We have been protesting peacefully till now, but if required, we will not shy away from fighting for Anna," Said Makhan Chaudhary, another supporter.

Sangeeta Sharma, 24, a Sanksrit student of Delhi University, was holding a placard that read 'Arise, awaken and stop not till the goal is reached.'

She said, "Until we get what Anna wants, the movement will continue. We have been compromising for too long."

"If the government tries to delay the Bill, the stir will intensify across the country. The government has taken too long to respond. While Anna's health is worsening by the hour, the government is using delaying tactics since yesterday. We are angry and hurt with the way the situation is being tackled. We hoped that today Anna will end his fast, but there has been no breakthrough yet," said a disturbed Pankaj Bhumbla, an emotional supporter at the Maidan.

India Against Corruption volunteers said people had been enquiring about Anna's health all day long. A group of nearly 100 Muslim supporters offered namaaz at the nearby Badi Masjid for Anna's health.

Volunteers said many outstation supporters, who had been eating at the Maidan, had not touched food, hoping that Anna would end fast at night and they might eat with him.

Sensing the possibility that Anna may be taken to hospital forcibly, supporters said his well-being was their priority, but their promise to support the movement would not die.

"No matter what happens tonight, we will stand by Anna. It is ideal that a solution is reached at, but if not, I fear for Anna. He hasn't eaten for almost 190 hours," said 19-year -old Shruti Rakheja. who was at the Maidan with her family. 

New Delhi, August 24
Who would have envisioned a 74-year-old man making a fashion statement with his white kurta pyjama and Gandhi Topi in the 21st century? But Anna Hazare has allured youth who are not only supporting his anti-corruption movement but imitating his style as well.

According to designers, the Gandhi topi - a slim boat-shaped cap often worn with a slight tilt that was the sartorial symbol of India's freedom movement - was always in demand but the reformer has pushed its popularity to another level and made it look very "cool".

"The Gandhian topi has been in trend since the 1900s. The cap was usually worn by people on Republic Day and Independence Day. What we can say is Anna has brought the fashion trend back," designer Anjalee Kapoor told IANS.

"But his style of wearing the topi has become a very important aspect of the movement. He has made it look very cool," she added.

The market is flooded with these caps which have "I AM ANNA" written over them and street vendors from all over India -- Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Kolkata and Ahmedabad - are selling it.

"We had made around 1,500 topis only for Independence Day and I was doubtful whether I would be able to sell the whole stock. But it was a surprise to find youngsters buying these caps. By August 16, when Annaji went on fast, the caps ran out of stock in no time," said Amrit Kumar, a vendor who sells at Ramlila Maidan, the site of Anna' protest fast.

"At the time of independence, Mahatma Gandhi spearheaded the revolution and today Annaji has stood like a wall in his fight against corruption. Both used the same 'Topi'. By wearing these, people want to prove that they are with him," he added.

The white-colour Gandhi cap was made popular by Mahatma Gandhi during the Indian Independence movement.

It was then adopted by India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, followed by Lal Bahadur Shastri and Morarji Desai.

Even freedom fighter Subhas Chandra Bose wore a cap, but a khaki coloured one, to symbolise his military ambitions.

Though in recent times, the cap was almost forgotten, thanks to western clothing aspirations, in the interiors of Maharashtra, people are often seen wearing them.

Hazare's battle against corruption has given it new life. These topis are disappearing from shelves like hot cakes.

Made of cotton, the topis are being sold at Rs.25 each, which is a discounted price, especially for the "Anna movement".

"Last Saturday we received an order of 18,000 caps. Each topi normally costs Rs.50 but keeping in mind the spirit of youth and the motive behind the movement, we have decreased the price to Rs.25," said Raj Kumar, a vendor in Janpath.

The street vendors are contributing to the movement in their own way - apart from topis, they are offering Anna merchandise, t-shirts at discounted prices.

"With people from different corners of the world supporting Annaji, how can we be so mean and increase prices? We are getting 10 to 20 per cent profit on each topi and that is more than enough for us," said Ashok Kumar, a shopkeeper in Sadar Bazar.

"Sometimes we even sell topis for free. We are selling the t-shirts carrying the slogan 'India Against Corruption' at the price of Rs 100," he added.

It's not just a street vendor who is mobilised by this moment. Many fashion designers too are also trying to do their bit.

A Delhi-based designer brand, Bellaragazza, will launch its "Gandhi Topi" collection purely made of khadi and cotton next month.

"The Gandhi Topi is very much back in fashion. I can see teenagers wearing the Gandhi Topi with a high pony tail. As today's generation does everything with style, the Gandhi Topi is very much in vogue," said designer Mamta Rawal of Bellaragazza.

"We have already started working on Anna tees and the next will be topis with a touch of modernity. I am really happy that the trend our forefathers used to follow is back," she added.

Even at the recently concluded Lakme Fashion Week in Mumbai, celebrities like Vidya Balan, Sridevi, Vidya Malvade and Hard Kaur were seen attending the shows wearing a cap with "I am Anna Hazare" written on it.

To add to the craze, as many as 20 students of IIT Kharagpur have decided to give their graduation caps a miss on the convocation day and instead receive their degrees in the "Gandhi Topi". -- IANS

New Delhi, August 24
Support for social activist Anna Hazare continued to pour in from all quarters at Ramlila Maidan today as the news of his ill health spread.

Anna’s supporters at the Ramlila Ground in New Delhi on Wednesday. Tribune photo: Manas Ranjan Bhui

Apart from thousands of people who continued to throng the Ramlila Maidan, yoga guru Baba Ramdev, BJP MP Varun Gandhi, comedian Raju Srivastav, a sitting civil judge and ad guru Prahlad Kakkar were some of the known faces who extended their support to Hazare and his fight for a strong Jan Lokpal bill.

Varun Gandhi, BJP MP from Pilibhit (UP) was one of the early comers at the Ramlila Maidan and sat with the common people, expressing his support to Anna.

Speaking to media persons, Gandhi said that he has come to express solidarity with Anna and his cause in an individual capacity and not any party leader or MP.

"I have not come here on instructions from my party but just as an individual who feels for the cause which Anna has picked up," said Gandhi who left the grounds after about 30 minutes.

Sikh schoolchildren support the anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare by waving the National Flag at the Ramlila Ground in New Delhi on Wednesday. Tribune photo: Manas Ranjan Bhui

Baba Ramdev, who was forcibly picked up and taken by the Delhi police on the night of June 5 while he sat on hunger strike at the Maidan, today returned to the venue and urged people to come out in support for a "just and noble cause" taken up by Anna.

"Some people have betrayed the country. We have to fight against them. The wrongs committed in the last 64 years have to be corrected," said Baba.

Renowned ad guru Prahlad Kakkar was next to follow Baba Ramdev in the afternoon. Addressing the people, he said that Anna should not give an inch in his fight against corruption. "Whatever has to happen will happen only now. It is a big movement in the history of country. Don't give an inch now," said Kakkar while praising the role of the youth in Anna's movement.

Comedian Raju Srivastav made his entry on the dais soon after, but refrained from comedy this time around. Citing Anna's ill health and his fight at this age, Raju said that he has left his "shop of comedy" at Mumbai and have just come to stand up for the cause.

"Don't expect me to make you laugh today. The situation is grim and Annaji's ill health is not the time to crack jokes. However, I cannot help coming here. I wanted to come and tell you that you are doing a great service to your country in this fight against corruption," said Raju. However, he could not help taking a dig at the Indian cricket team, saying that they should thank Annaji that the media is today busy with him instead of their "great performance in England".

Hazare also had an unusual visitor. A sitting judge of the Tis Hazari court shocked the media as well as people when he came visiting the Ramlila Maidan today.

"I am one amongst the public. Why should I be afraid? When the country is here, how can I remain away. I think it was my duty to come here and support the fight against corruption and I did it," said the judge.

When asked whether he is not afraid of losing his job, the judge replied, "Anna is ready to lose his life. I can lose my job if need be."

Aruna Roy, member of National Advisory Council (NAC), who had recently criticized Anna Hazare's protest, also called upon him today and expressed concern over his health.

"We are all concerned about Anna. We have old links with him," said Roy while speaking to the media persons. It was her first meeting with Hazare after he began his fast on August 16. Roy had criticized Hazare for "deriding" democratic institutions and alleged that he was "ill-advised". 

New Delhi, August 24
Among the hordes of youngsters thronging Ramlila Maidan to support Anna Hazare's fight against corruption, there are some who visit the place just to click some pictures with friends and simply because it's 'cool'.

Donning the popular 'I am Anna' caps, tricoloured caps, bands and flags, such groups could be seen absorbed posing with friends, with Hazare's dais in the background or with any individual or group in fancy dress or imitating some character.

"There is so much hype about Anna that my friends and I decided to come here. It's cool to support something that would benefit our country," said 17-year-old Ankush Bhatia.

However, when asked to reveal the three points of difference between the government and Team Anna's version of the Lokpal bill, Bhatia could only manage a sheepish smile.

"I've no idea," said Bhatia as he asked his female friend to pose with a man dressed as Hindu god Hanuman.

There were many more like Bhatia who in the guise of supporting Hazare are looking to having a good time with friends.

Just after Hazare's speech on Wednesday afternoon, a Bollywood song was played on the loudspeakers and almost immediately many supporters started dancing.

So engrossed was one particular group of youngsters that they did not even realise that one of their Tricolours had fallen on the ground as they stomped on it shouting 'Maa Tujhe Salaam' and clicked pictures.

"I'll put them on my Facebook and Orkut accounts," said 16-year-old Vikhyat Vermani who upon realising the disrespect caused to the national flag scuttled away with it.

With a carnival-like atmosphere at the ground since Friday, some youth under the false impression of patriotism have definitely found a new place to 'hang out'. -- IANS

New Delhi, August 24
The Ramlila Ground has become the centrestage of agitations, with many sections and organisations utilising the platform as a way to voice their grievances against the authorities apart from expressing their support to the Jan Lokpal Bill.

Among such people were parents of missing children and contractual staff of the Delhi Transport Organisation, who were seen holding large hoardings and banners to voice their anger against the Delhi police, Delhi government and the administration concerned.

With pro-Anna slogan, such as "Jo Anna ke saath nahin, who bhrashtachar ke khilaaf nahin", there were some families from Nangloi, Prem Nagar, Mongolpuri who joined the anti-corruption crusade to protest the delayed investigation and indifference shown towards them.

"We are also victims of corruption. The police here has been hardly of any help. Our FIRs are registered after several requests and the police is quite slow in acting on them. Promptness on its part will enable us to find our lost children," said residents of Prem Nagar under Aman Vihar police station.

Iqbal's nine-year-old son Irfan and Pannalal's eight-year-old daughter Bhuria are still untraceable.

Similarly, the struggle against corruption also saw support of over 100 contractual employees of DTC who have been coming here for two days. Their demands include making them regular and bringing their salaries at par with those who are on the government payroll.

"When we come on duty, we are sent back home and not given salaries. We are almost 20,000 employees who have not been made permanent. We have been removed from our jobs for joining this protest despite the fact that we had given a notice on August 18," said Raman Singh and Krishna Kumar, members of DTC Union. 

New Delhi, August 24
The Delhi High Court today asked the capital's private power distribution companies (discoms) BSES Rajdhani, BSES Yamuna and NDPL to respond to a petition that the Comptroller and Auditor-General (CAG) should be directed to audit their accounts.

The division bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justice Sanjiv Khanna issued the notices to the discoms and asked them to file their affidavits within six weeks.

Petitioner United RWAs Joint Action (URJA) alleged that the Delhi government had come under the discoms' pressure and intervened in the functioning of the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC).

"Are the discoms amenable to be audited by the CAG?" asked the bench, seeking the power distribution companies' response.

Appearing for the discoms, senior counsel Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Sandeep Sethi said that after the privatisation of the power distribution, the accounts of companies could not be audited by the CAG.

Petitioner's counsel Pyoli Swatija opposed them, arguing that even after privatisation, the city government held a 49 per cent stake in the companies. It could not be said that they were out of the CAG's purview.

The DERC filed an affidavit and informed the court that it did not examine the accounts of the discoms while fixing the power tariff every fiscal year.

The petition said that under the pressure of discoms, the state government intervened in the functioning of the DERC which failed to fix the tariff for the year 2011-12.

The petitioner also sought a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the case.-- IANS