Obituaries are being written about Anna Hazare's anti-corruption movement. Two core Team Anna members, PV Rajagopal and Rajinder Singh, have quit or moved away.

Barely three months after it gained country-wide name as Team Anna, an anti-corruption movement it is spearheading suffered a blow on Tuesday (18-Oct-2011) as these two key associates of Gandhain activist Anna Hazare quit the core committee of his team objecting to the movement taking a political turn.

The trigger was the group's decision to unleash an anti-Congress campaign in Hisar, which the two claimed had not been taken by the core committee.

"I dissociate with the team. The team is turning political. There were statements indicating that including the on Hisar," Rajinder Singh said.

Rajagopal, who is in Kerala`s Attappadi as part of an all-India yatra for land rights, wrote to Core Committee convenor Arvind Kejriwal about his decision while Singh said he did not feel the need to write any such letter as he had not sought any membership in the first place.

Both Singh, and Rajagopal had joined the anti-graft team after some persuasion and their presence in the team was seen as a counter to the allegation that Team Anna represented a very small section of civil society.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa was today (12-Sep-2011) asked by the Supreme Court to appear personally on October 20 before a Karnataka trial court, adjudicating a disproportionate assets case against her.

Rejecting Jayalalithaa's earlier plea for grant of exemption from personal appearance, an apex court bench had on September 5 observed that she was trying to delay proceedings. Jayalalithaa had sought exemption from personal appearance for recording her statement under Section 313 of the Criminal Procedure Code on grounds of threat to her security.

She will appear before the court Oct 20. Jayalalithaa faces charges for accumulating wealth disproportionate to known sources of income when she was the chief minister from 1991 to 1996.

The case was transferred from Chennai to Bangalore.

A bench of justices Dalveer Bhandari and Deepak Verma, however, left it to the trial court judge to decide her plea for being examined at a separate building, other than the regular court, in view of security considerations.

The apex court said the presiding judge shall ensure that she is examined in a proper environment.

Rajya Sabha MP and former Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh and two former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MPs were Tuesday (06-Sep-2011) arrested and sent to judicial custody for alleged involvement in the cash-for-votes scandal during the July 2008 trust vote in Parliament.

Amar Singh is the latest in a long line of high profile politicians and corporate honchos to be housed in the sprawling prison complex in west Delhi.

Singh was denied bail by a Delhi court today (06-Sep-2011) and remanded in judicial custody till September 19. Two former BJP MPs Faggan Kulaste and Mahavir Bhagora were also arrested and sent to judicial custody in cash-for-vote case.

The crime branch of Delhi police has named Singh in an 80-page chargesheet as the person who was instrumental for distribution of Rs 1 crore to Kulaste and Bhagotra to abstain from voting with BJP members in July 2008 on a confidence motion moved by the Manmohan Singh government.

Jayalalithaa has made good on one of the major promises of her election campaign - she has made cable television available in Tamil Nadu through a government service.

For Rs 70, customers will be able to get 90 channels. Most private operators charge double that for similar services.

The Tamil Nadu government revived the dormant State-run cable TV service by formally launching its operations on Friday (02-Sep-2011).

The ACTVC was the brainchild of the previous DMK government which set it up in 2007 at the height of a feud between the families of then Chief Minister M Karunanidhi and his grand nephews Dyananidhi Maran and Kalanidhi Maran.

The move then was seen as an attempt by Karunanidhi to cut to size the Marans whose Sumangali Cable Vision dominated the cable TV business. But later both patched up ahead of the 2009 Lok Sabha polls, leaving the Arasu Cable TV Corporation in limbo.

Giving fresh life to the Arasu Cable TV Corporation to fulfill the AIADMK’s poll promise, Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa said, with mentioning names, “one particular family” was enjoying monopoly over the cable TV business.

While the cable network operators are relieved that the new government-owned multi-system operator (MSO) will break the domination of private operators in the cable TV market, they are wondering what to tell customers as some popular pay channels will not be part of the bouquet.

Arasu Cable will operate in all districts except Chennai, which is expected to get the licence for conditional access system.

Anna Hazare declared on Saturday that the nation's people had won a great victory as he announced he would end his fast at 10am on Sunday (28-Aug-2011).

"Parliament has spoken, it is the will of the people," a smiling Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said Saturday (27-Aug-2011) after both the houses adopted a "sense of the house" on the key demands of Anna Hazare. The prime minister was speaking after the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha saw almost eight hours of debate on the Lokpal bill.

Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee, who negotiated with Team Anna to resolve the Lokpal logjam, said he was happy with the resolution of the issue.

It was victory for Anna Hazare and a triumph for people's power at Delhi's historic Ramlila Maidan. When Union minister Vilasrao Deshmukh handed over a letter from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh conveying Parliament's resolution on Hazare's demands to him, history was made.

Even before he was picked up in a police swoop down on the day he was due to begin his fast, Anna has been maintaining simply that it was the massive support he received that gave him energy, he continues his fast, which is in its last few hours. In spite of the twists and turns today (August 27) Anna has only been smiling, a simple reminder of how he's won over the masses with this movement.

With just six days left for Anna Hazare to start indefinite fast on the Lokpal Bill, he agreed on Wednesday (10-Aug-2011) to stage the fast at Jaiprakash Narayan Park, near Feroz Shah Kotla ground, in New Delhi.

Police approved the group’s request to hold the protest for a month. The official approval does not put any limit to the number of participants, unlike the protest organised by Baba Ramdev in June.

"The offer was communicated to them in the evening. A decision on the time period will be taken once they get the requisite permission from the CPWD," said a police officer.

The venue offered is located next to the Shahidi Park, which was one of the four places proposed by Team Anna.

"We have been informed about it. We will soon approach the land owning authority, seeking permission for holding the fast," said a team member.

The Anna Hazare Team on Thursday (11-Aug-2011) expressed satisfaction over the venue offered to them by police for holding the indefinite fast against Lokpal Bill even as they denied any going back on their stand on the legislation.

The Core Committee of the Hazare team met in New Delhi on Thursday morning. The meeting was attended by Mr. Hazare and others including, activist Arvind Kejriwal.

"We are satisfied with the venue provided by Delhi Police. It is at a good location. Core committee is chalking out the plan on how to go about the fast," he told reporters.

Honouring the Supreme Court verdict on the Uniform Education System, Tamil Nadu government on Tuesday (09-Aug-2011) said it would implement it from the current academic year itself.

In a major setback to J. Jayalalithaa government in Tamil Nadu, the Supreme Court has ordered the state government to implement uniform system of education in schools proposed by the previous DMK government.

The state government wanted to postpone the implementation of the DMK-launched scheme by a year. The court, however, directed it to implement the scheme immediately.

The uniform system was brought in by the earlier DMK government. On assuming office in May this year, J Jayalalithaa brought an amendment to the law deferring the system for a year. This was done as she was believed to have found the text books under the system to be full of praise of M Karunanidhi.

The State government will abide by the order of the Supreme Court on the Samacheer Kalvi issue, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa made it clear in the Assembly on Monday. Intervening in a debate on the State budget, the Chief Minister said the State government, which had approached the Court, was awaiting the order. "We will take action as per the order of the Supreme Court."

After two months of uncertainty, more than 1.3 crore school students in the state just get to know what they will be studying.

Samacheer Kalvi will be implemented in Classes 2 to 5 and 7 to 10 in schools across the state this academic year.

Four days after DV Sadananda Gowda took oath as Karnataka chief minister, succeeding scam hit BS Yeddyurappa, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ministry in the state was expanded on Monday (08-Aug-2011) evening with the induction of 21 members.

It was raining the day BS Yeddyurappa walked to the Karnataka Raj Bhawan to submit his resignation. That set in motion fast-paced political developments, drama and dissidence that culminated in the swearing in of 21 Cabinet ministers today (08-Aug-2011). It rained again.

Karnataka Chief Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda expanded his five—day—old ministry inducting 21 with Cabinet rank but left out the mining magnates Reddy brothers and their close associate Sreeramulu.

Also not included in Monday's list are Vijayshankar, forest minister in the Yeddyurappa ministry, and Mumtaz Ali Khan, Waqf minister in the previous ministry.

Out of 21 ministers, 12 are from the Yeddyurappa camp and nine from Jagadish Shettar faction.

Some more entries are likely to be made into the ministry over the next few days, BJP sources said.

Congress members, including legislators and functionaries, today offered prayers at the Manakula Vinayakar temple here seeking speedy recovery and good health for AICC (All India Congress Committee) leader Sonia Gandhi, who has undergone a surgery abroad for an undisclosed medical condition.

There has been rumor all over that 64-year-old Ms. Sonia Gandhi has been admitted to the Cancer Centre, but it has not been confirmed.

The Congress has refused to reveal her disease and the type of the surgical procedure.

A handful of supporters of Congress President Sonia Gandhi gathered outside a local hospital in New York, where they believe she had been admitted, and prayed for her speedy recovery from the surgery for an undisclosed ailment.

More than 10 supporters belonging to the ‘Indian Congress Party USA,' assembled outside the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center on Saturday (06-Aug-2011) and wanted to offer prayers inside the hospital's chapel, but were denied permission by authorities.

Sonia was yesterday (07-Aug-2011) moved out of the ICU of the hospital. She will spend a few more days under observation of the doctors at the hospital.

Sonia Gandhi, the leader of India's governing Congress party, has undergone surgery abroad for an undisclosed illness. A spokesman for the party said on August 5 that the surgery had been successful.

Sonia underwent an operation yesterday (04-Aug-2011), which was described by her surgeon as “successful,” Congress General Secretary Janardhan Dwivedi said in a text message sent to reporters today (05-Aug-2011). While her party has refused to state where Gandhi went for treatment, Indian media have reported that she is in the U.S., citing Congress officials they haven’t named.

The Italian-born Mrs Gandhi, 64, holds no official government post but is seen as India's most powerful politician.

Wishes for speedy recovery

The BJP on Thursday wished speedy recovery to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, who has gone abroad for a surgery for an undisclosed ailment.

“We wish her a speedy recovery. We hope and want that she regains her health quickly and return,” Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj, who was accompanied by her counterpart in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley, told journalists.

DMK president M Karunanidhi today expressed "shock" over Congress President Sonia Gandhi taking ill and wished her a speedy recovery and early return to the country.

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi also wished ailing Congress President Sonia Gandhi a speedy recovery. Modi has conveyed his best wishes for speedy recovery to Sonia who is under treatment abroad, a Gujarat Government statement said. In his message, Modi said he prayed to the almighty for her speedy recovery and return to best of her health, it said.

Pakistan's youngest foreign minister Hina made a style-statement with her three-day visit to India. Hina Rabbani Khar, aged just 34, is the first woman to be appointed foreign minister of Pakistan.

Hina, who was only appointed recently after serving as a junior foreign minister since February, has become the face of Pakistani diplomacy at a critical time, despite questions over her youth and inexperience.

Pakistan's youngest foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar might have held the Indian media in thrall with her precious South Sea pearls, Roberto Cavalli shades and Birkin bag, but the media spotlight on her style and fashion statements left her incandescent with rage.

Hina, a headscarf-wearing mother of two daughters, is inevitably compared to Benazir Bhutto, the charismatic female prime minister of Pakistan who was assassinated when trying to regain power in 2007. She reacted angrily to questions pertaining to coverage of her fashion style in leading Indian dailies.

"You see paparazzi are every where. Besides, you (referring to media) should not do such acts," Ms. Khar said, replying to a question at the Lahore airport on her arrival from India.

So irked was she at the question that she refused to take any more questions and left for Islamabad.

During her visit to New Delhi, she was the talk of the town, with the media closely following her fashion accessories.

With the media spotlight focused on her fashion accessories during her recent trip to India, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar wonders whether a man in her position would have attracted similar attention.

The 34-year-old is quite a style icon back in her own country, reveal Pakistan’s noted fashion designers.

The Twitter world reacted strongly to the 34-year-old's upmarket dressing. Some, including actress Gul Panag, gave it a thumbs up, while others questioned the viability of flaunting expensive brands.

Denying that Stalin, son of DMK chief M Karunanidhi was arrested or detained, Tamilnadu police said that he was merely moved as he was obstructing traffic.

Earlier reports said that M K Stalin was detained by police at Tiruvarur. The DMK leader was trying to stage a protest, when police attempted to arrest DMK's Tiruvarur secretary Kalaivanan.

The police had been looking for the DMK functionary in connection with the death of a school student in a road accident in Tiruvarur on Friday.

Mr Stalin had reportedly demanded an arrest warrant or FIR copy before the arrest, and it was then that he was taken into detention.

The DMK had given the call for boycott of schools and colleges to press for implementation of the Uniform System of School Education (Tamil: Samacheer Kalvi), introduced by the Karunanidhi regime.

The AIADMK Government is engaged in a legal battle after it decided to defer implementation of the scheme citing its "lack of quality".

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa yesterday (29-July-2011) blamed the DMK protest for leading to the death of the boy and charged Kalaivanan with instigating his party workers to prevent students from attending classes.

Student's death

Police registered a case against Mr. Kalaivanan in connection with the death of Vijay of Manjakollai, an eighth standard student of the Government Higher Secondary School, Koradachery. Vijay died on his way home from school on Friday when the government bus in which he was travelling met with an accident.

The children were sent from school after an agitation organised by Mr. Kalaivanan for implementing the Samacheer Kalvi system immediately. Three other students were injured in the accident. Baskar, father of one of the injured students, lodged a complaint with police that Mr. Kalaivanan was responsible for the accident as he (Mr. Kalaivanan) had insisted on the students' boycotting classes.

The police registered cases against Mr. Kalaivanan under sections 143 (unlawful assembly), 188 (preventing people from discharging duties), 268 (conspiracy and 506/2 threat to murder.

As the news about the alleged arrest of Mr. Stalin spread, DMK cadres organised demonstrations at various places in Thanjavur and Tiruvarur districts. They were arrested by the police and later released.

Pakistan's young Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar might have caught New Delhi's imagination, but her depiction in the Indian media as a 'fashion icon' seemed to have irked her.

Hina Rabbani Khar, aged just 34, is the first woman to be appointed foreign minister of Pakistan. Hina, who was only appointed last week after serving as a junior foreign minister since February, has become the face of Pakistani diplomacy at a critical time, despite questions over her youth and inexperience.

She is rich, stylish, and travels the world - so what's the big deal about Pakistan's youngest and first female foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar's Birkin bag, Roberto Cavalli shades and Jimmy Choo heels that were on view during her visit here, ask Indian and Pakistani designers.

Her classic black Hermes' Birkin could cost anything above $10,000-$15,000, her Roberto Cavalli shades cost over $500 and the Jimmy Choo heels over $900.

Karachi-based designer Huma Adnan admits Khar, whose three-day trip to India concluded Thursday (28-July-2011), is one of the most stylish politicians in her country, but finds it strange that there is so much discussion in India over her dressing.

Khar, a headscarf-wearing mother of two daughters, is inevitably compared to Benazir Bhutto, the charismatic female prime minister of Pakistan who was assassinated when trying to regain power in 2007.

She has already attracted widespread attention in the Islamic nation where women seldom feature in public life, and a newspaper picture of her wearing tight jeans caused a shimmer of disapproval.

When Khar landed at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi on Tuesday (26-July-2011) for talks with her Indian counterpart S.M. Krishna, her blue ensemble, teamed with a simple string of pearls, oversized handbag and shades grabbed many eyeballs.

An Indian newspaper, while writing about her arrival in New Delhi, said: "her monotone outfit of a blue the colour of the season, tasteful accessories Roberto Cavalli sunglasses, oversized Hermes Birkin bag and glass pearl jewellery added a glamour to her look."

The 34-year-old is quite a style icon back in her own country, reveal Pakistan’s noted fashion designers.

The Twitter world reacted strongly to the 34-year-old's upmarket dressing. Some, including actress Gul Panag, gave it a thumbs up, while others questioned the viability of flaunting expensive brands.

India's external affairs minister SM Krishna and his Pakistani counterpart Hina Rabbani Khar on Wednesday (27-July-2011) began talks that are expected to culminate in a host of confidence-building measures (CBMs).

While India will talk of eradicating terror in the region, Pakistan is expected to insist on maintaining peace in the area.

The foreign ministers of India and Pakistan are expected to follow a carefully drafted template to take the peace process forward through a 'step-by-step' approach.

In his public welcoming remarks, Mr Krishna said, "India looks forward to a cooperative relationship with Pakistan... it is in the interest of peace not only for our two countries but for the entire region and beyond. Perhaps we owe this to ourselves as well as to succeeding generations."

Ms Khar, who is Pakistan's youngest Foreign Minister, said, "Pakistan sees good friendly and cooperative relations with India as an important neighbour.

"We feel the relationship between the two countries should not be held hostage by the past." She also stressed that officials on both sides must be "respectful of the reality of the two countries."

The meeting comes five months after the South Asian neighbours resumed bilateral discussions.

Talks were suspended after the 2008 Mumbai (Bombay) attacks which India blamed on Pakistan-based militants.

But earlier this year, leaders vowed to resume their dialogue.

Correspondents say the talks are unlikely to throw up any major policy statements, but they will be another step in improving relations between the neighbours.

The decision of Indian govt to put 25 paise coins put of circulation has been ridiculed by Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday June 29.

Modi said the Centre was increasing fuel prices with impunity and could not ask the state governments to cut taxes.

“They increase oil prices with impunity and tell states to eliminate taxes, but we will (electorally) eliminate them with help of the people,” Modi said.

He said when the people joined their voice with the yoga expert Baba Ramdev for the demonetisation of thousand rupee notes, which was the only way to unearth black money, the Centre responded by stopping 25 paise coins. This reflected, he said, the Centre's lack of desire to fight against black money.

In a major setback to DMK Member of Parliament Kanimozhi and Kalaignar TV Managing Director Sharad Kumar, the Supreme Court dismissed their bail pleas in the 2G spectrum case.

DMK sources said a visibly upset Karunanidhi had decided to call on his daughter at the prison to console her.

Kanimozhi's mother Rajathi Ammal is already in New Delhi.

Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam (DMK) patriarch M Karunanidhi is likely to visit New Delhi on Tuesday (21-June-2011) to meet his daughter Kanimozhi, who is languishing at Tihar jail in connection with the 2G spectrumm allocation scam.

This will be Karunanidhi’s second meeting with Kanimozhi at Tihar jail.

Rajinikanth who was recuperating in a Singapore hospital has been discharged recently. He was diagnosed with a kidney problem.

The Superstar is planning to complete the shooting of Rana by the end of this month, if reports are to be believed.

Rajinikanth, who was discharged from the Mount Elizabeth Medical Centre in Singapore yesterday (15-June-2011), called Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa to congratulate on her massive victory in the elections.

According to sources, soon after reaching his apartment in Singapore, Rajnikanth called Jayalalithaa on her phone.

He told her that she was the first person he was conversing with immediately after discharge from the hospital. He said he would return to India in about one and a half months.

The Chief Minister, who was immensely glad to hear his voice, told Rajini about her happiness over his early recovery and expressed the wish that he should return to India at the earliest.

A day after reportedly telling TN CM Jayalalithaa that the state was 'saved' after her party won the recent assembly polls, Tamil superstar Rajnikanth on Thursday spoke to Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam chief M Karunanidhi, asking him to focus on his health and "not to consider anything else."

"You have faced so many ups and downs in life. It is important that you take care of your health. You should not consider anything (else) big," Rajnikanth told Karunanidhi in a telephonic conversation.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa met Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh today (14-June-2011). During the meeting, she handed over a memorandum detailing the state government's demands including an additional 1000 MW of power to Tamil Nadu from the central grid.

Jayalalithaa, armed with a resolution on the plight of Tamils in Sri Lanka and seeking an economic package for her state, met Singh for about 20 minutes at the his 7 Race Course Road residence.

Last week, Jayalalithaa had requested the PM to allocate an additional 1,000 MW of power to Tamil Nadu from the central pool for about a year. She also asked him to issue instructions to speed up the central power projects coming up in TN.

In a letter to Singh, Jayalalithaa had said: "Due to increasing demand and stagnant generation of power, the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board is resorting to scheduled load-shedding of around 1,500 MW and frequent unscheduled load-shedding."

While the power demand in the state is around 11,500 MW, the supply is only around 7,300 MW.

Households now face a scheduled power cut of two hours a day and industries have a four hour scheduled power cut plus an additional three hour switch off during peak demand hours of 5 pm to 8 pm.

One of the reasons for the crisis is the rapid industrialization that the state has witnessed over the past few years.

Jayalalithaa has requested the centre for the allocation of adequate funding to put up 10 Solar Energy Parks to generate 3000 MW at a cost of Rs 45,000 crore.

Accusing Home Minister P Chidambaram of getting himself elected to Parliament through "fraudulent" means, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa today said his continuance in the Union Council of Ministers was untenable and sought his resignation.

Jayalalithaa said the data entry operator in the Sivaganga Lok Sabha constituency in Tamil Nadu transferred votes secured by AIADMK candidate Raja Kannappan to Chidambaram's credit in the 2009 general elections.

Hours after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa called Union Home Minister P Chidambaram's election to Parliament a fraud, the senior Congress leader hit back Tuesday holding that the CM's remark is a contempt of court.

In a statement issued shortly after Jaya's remark in Delhi after meeting the Prime Minister, Chidambaram said: "Miss Jayalalithaa, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu has the habit of starting on the wrong foot."

He said Mr. Rajakannappan had also contested the Assembly elections last month and lost from one of the segments falling under his parliamentary constituency Sivaganga.

"Perhaps, she would say that that election result was also fraudulent," he said.

The Supreme Court of India on Monday (13-June-2011) adjourned DMK MP Kanimozhi's bai plea till June 30 in 2G spectrum scam case.

Kanimozhi's application for bail was rejected last Wednesday (08-June-2011) by the Delhi High Court. She then appealed to the Supreme Court.

Terming corruption as the worst form of "human rights violation", the apex court asked the CBI to estimate loss accrued to the exchequer on account of licences issued to telecom operators during the tenure of A Raja as Telecom minister.

A vacation Bench of Justice BS Chauhan and Swatanter Kumar issued a notice to the CBI, asking it to file its response on the bail pleas in a week. The court granted a week's time to the CBI to file its response.

Kanimozhi and Sharad Kumar, named as accused in the second charge sheet for allegedly taking bribe of Rs 200 crore, were arrested on May 20 after the special court dismissed their bail pleas in the case.

Both Kanimozhi and Kumar have 20% each in Kalaignar TV Pvt Ltd, which allegedly received Rs. 200 crore through a "circuitous" route from Shahid Balwa promoted DB Realty.

Kanimozhi's lawyers have argued that she was not an active participant in the company's management. She has also said that the money under scrutiny was a loan that was returned with interest. The CBI has rejected this explanation.