Lokpal Draft Report

A parliamentary panel set up to iron out sharp political divisions over the shaping of the Lokpal Bill, today adopted a draft report, indicating that most of the contentious issues may have now been sorted out.

Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar said today that his party did not participate in the Lokpal debate held yesterday because it wasn't invited. Mr Pawar, who heads the Nationalist Congress Party or NCP, said "the debate will be in Parliament. We will present our opinions in front of the PM."

As veteran anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare readies for his day-long fast tomorrow in Delhi in protest against the parliamentary panel's report on the Lokpal Bill, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has called for an all-party meeting on Wednesday to discuss the issue again.

On the eve of his day-long fast against the Parliamentary Standing Committee's report on the Lokpal Bill, anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare hit out at the government, saying the committee that had released the report on the anti-graft bill was "fooling people of the entire nation."

Lokpal Bill: Standing Committee's Final Draft Report

A parliamentary committee today adopted its report on the contentious Lokpal Bill leaving it to the wisdom of Parliament to decide on inclusion of Prime Minister in its ambit while Congress members gave dissenting notes demanding inclusion of Group C officials within its purview.

Team Anna has its own version of the bill, called the Jan Lokpal Bill. After 74-year-old Anna's epic fast in August, parliament formally agreed to consider Anna's three must-haves for the Lokpal. The Gandhian says the draft of the Lokpal Bill is a betrayal of this assurance.

Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Congress MP from Rajya Sabha and Chairman of the parliamentary panel looking into drafting the anti-graft Lokpal Bill, has sought a week's extension for submitting the panel's draft of the bill.

The government is bracing for a winter of severe discontent. In Parliament, it's battling a united Opposition over its decision to allow Foreign Direct Investment in retail. Now, Anna Hazare has expressed his unhappiness over the Standing Committee report on Lokpal saying he may have to restart agitation.

Team Anna member Kiran Bedi tonight expressed disappointment at the recommendations in the draft report of Standing Committee on Lokpal Bill, saying going back on commitment given by Parliament will call for mass movement again.

Team Anna member Kiran Bedi tonight expressed disappointment at the recommendations in the draft report of the Standing Committee on the Lokpal Bill, saying going back on the commitment given by Parliament will call for a mass movement again.

Lokpal Bill row: Yet again, a new deadlock in the Anna Hazare saga just as a breakthrough seemed round the corner. Less than an hour before Parliament convened on Friday - when there were reports that it would begin a debate on the Jan Lokpal Bill among other draft Bills - a new standoff emerged.

A parliamentary panel set up to iron out sharp political divisions over the shaping of the Lokpal Bill, today adopted a draft report, indicating that most of the contentious issues may have now been sorted out.

Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar said today that his party did not participate in the Lokpal debate held yesterday because it wasn't invited. Mr Pawar, who heads the Nationalist Congress Party or NCP, said "the debate will be in Parliament. We will present our opinions in front of the PM."

As veteran anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare readies for his day-long fast tomorrow in Delhi in protest against the parliamentary panel's report on the Lokpal Bill, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has called for an all-party meeting on Wednesday to discuss the issue again.

On the eve of his day-long fast against the Parliamentary Standing Committee's report on the Lokpal Bill, anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare hit out at the government, saying the committee that had released the report on the anti-graft bill was "fooling people of the entire nation."

Lokpal Bill: Standing Committee's Final Draft Report

A parliamentary committee today adopted its report on the contentious Lokpal Bill leaving it to the wisdom of Parliament to decide on inclusion of Prime Minister in its ambit while Congress members gave dissenting notes demanding inclusion of Group C officials within its purview.

Team Anna has its own version of the bill, called the Jan Lokpal Bill. After 74-year-old Anna's epic fast in August, parliament formally agreed to consider Anna's three must-haves for the Lokpal. The Gandhian says the draft of the Lokpal Bill is a betrayal of this assurance.

Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Congress MP from Rajya Sabha and Chairman of the parliamentary panel looking into drafting the anti-graft Lokpal Bill, has sought a week's extension for submitting the panel's draft of the bill.

The government is bracing for a winter of severe discontent. In Parliament, it's battling a united Opposition over its decision to allow Foreign Direct Investment in retail. Now, Anna Hazare has expressed his unhappiness over the Standing Committee report on Lokpal saying he may have to restart agitation.

Team Anna member Kiran Bedi tonight expressed disappointment at the recommendations in the draft report of Standing Committee on Lokpal Bill, saying going back on commitment given by Parliament will call for mass movement again.

Team Anna member Kiran Bedi tonight expressed disappointment at the recommendations in the draft report of the Standing Committee on the Lokpal Bill, saying going back on the commitment given by Parliament will call for a mass movement again.

Lokpal Bill row: Yet again, a new deadlock in the Anna Hazare saga just as a breakthrough seemed round the corner. Less than an hour before Parliament convened on Friday - when there were reports that it would begin a debate on the Jan Lokpal Bill among other draft Bills - a new standoff emerged.