Anna live: 'Merely debating Janlokpal tomorrow not enough'

7:03pm: After the meet, government said that all the three versions of the Lokpal bill will be debated in Parliament tomorrow. In a smart political move, government decided that the Jan Lokpal will be debated under Rule 184, which entails voting.

6.30pm: Medha Patkar: Merely bringing the Jan Lokpal before Parliament tomorrow is not enough for Anna to call off his fast. Parties should put aside their petty political differences and bow down to the will of the people.

5:40pm TV reports suggest that Parliament may discuss all versions of the Lokpal bill including Aruna Roy’s version tomorrow.

5:22pm BJP President Nitin Gadkari appealed to Anna to end his fast and said taking Jan Lokpal as an example, government must start examining both the bills. He said, “I am not concerned about politics. I am only concerned about Anna’s health now.” Supporting Anna he said, “BJP is with Anna in his fight.” Nitin Gadkari also insisted that the PM should be in the ambit of Lokpal.

5:05pm Over 250 people gathered outside PM’s residence are being detained by police.

5:04 pm Prashant Bhushan appeals to the crowd in Ramlila Maidan, saying “it is our fundamental right to call for Lokpal. Every citizen can continue to protest. Government cannot stop us as long as we do not resort to violence.” He said that  the Act 144 under the constitution guarantees every citizen the right.

5:03pm Arvind kejriwal called more people to reach the PM’s residence and demand for their fundamental rights.

4.48pm: Anna said that although they had permission to use Ramlila Maidan until 3 September, they should be allowed to stay there until all their issues are resolved.  He appealed to the people to go out and fill the jails if they were not given permission. He also asked them to surround MP’s houses if the  3 demands Team Anna still has are not met.  " As long as I live I will live for the nation, and when I die, I will die for the nation."

4:46pm Fearing that the government is up to new tricks, and calling it ‘false promises’, Anna said that he will continue his fast until a consensus is reached within the government about the three sticking points–inclusion of lower bureaucracy under the purview of Lokpal, forming Lokayukta in every state and immediate discussion on the Jan Lokpal bill. He further questioned the stand of the opposition, saying, “Why is the opposition silent? Their silence means that they also don’t want Lokpal”. Anna stuck to his demands, “From lowest bureaucracy to the highest, everyone should be brought under the ambit of the Lokpal.”

3.45pm Prime Minister calls for a meeting of senior ministers including Pranab Mukherjee and P. Chidambaram at his residence at 5pm. Meanwhile Team Anna spokesman Manish Sisodia says that Anna Hazare has sent a message to the Prime Minister in response to a message sent to Ramlila Maidan through Vilasrao Deshmukh. Anna will address crowds after receiving a reply from the PM.

3.40pm: Sonia Gandhi also issues appeal to Anna to end his fast.

3.15pm: Delhi Metro confirms that they will be closing down certain stations on their routes, including Khan market, Udyog Bhavan and Race Course. A spokesman from the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation speaking to Firstpost, said that they were closing the stations from 3pm, following instructions from the Delhi police.

3.05pm: Vilasrao Deshmukh reaches Ramlila Maidan - meets Anna Hazare with a message from the PM. Government sources have said that Deshmukh will now be the direct negotiator with Anna Hazare.

2.54pm: Salman Khurshid says that the offer for dialogue is till open, and they will talk to whoever comes forward from Team Anna’s side.

2.43pm Kiran Bedi addressing crowd in Ramlila Maidan, asks crowd not to make too much noise, to ensure law and order and protest in a peaceful manner.

2.00pm: Anna Hazare wants to talk directly with Maharashtra MP Prithviraj Chavan. Television reports state that Hazare is unhappy with the modus operandi of Kejriwal and Bedi who have been call ing for more aggressive action.

1.34pm: Team Anna due to meet at 2.30pm to discuss Prime Minister’s statement.

1.20pm: Congress spokesman Manish Tewari, who accused Anna Hazare of being “steeped in corruption from head to toe”, tenders an official apology to Anna Hazare. “I know some of my recent utterances have caused hurt to Anna. To him I would like to say I regret the same. I am personally concerned about Anna’s health. I would like to join the PM and urge him to end his fast.

“In the course of political cut and thrust, certain things are inadvertantly said which cause pain,” he said. Recently, Tewari had said Hazare himself was involved in corruption. “The Sawant Commission ripped apart the moral core of Hazare as it found him steeped in corruption from head to toe,” the Ludhiana MP had said. He had also alleged that Team Anna comprised “armchair fascists, overground Maoists, closet anarchists funded by invisible donors”.

1.08pm Santosh Hegde: At every stage when we almost reach a compromise, the government backs out. I appreciate the Prime Minister’s feeling. But now to go back again and start from square one is counter productive. What is the idea of drafting a new bill from square one? We have to think about what to do next. The main thing is I am personally worried about Anna’s health. If anything happens to him, law and order would be chaotic. I personally feel let us separate fast from protest. We don’t want any lives to be lost. Ours is a peaceful protest right from the beginning.

1.07pm Medha Patkar - To have only one proposal to end Anna’s fast is immaterial. Whether they will put up the Jan Lokpal bill or not is the question.

12.56pm Pranab Mukherjee urges Anna to end his fast. Says a solution can be reached.

12.10pm Prime Minister Manmohan Singh addresses Parliament. He urges Anna to call off his fast, saying that his point had been registered and that discussions would continue on the Lokpal. “I respect his idealism, I respect him as a person, I applaud him I salute him. His life is much too precious. We urge him to call off his fast”, he said. Following the PM’s speech, opposition leader Sushma Swaraj and the speaker of the House Meira Kumar also urged Anna to end his fast. ( read more )

12.00pm: Team Anna calls for a protest outside the Prime Minister’s residence at 5pm. They say they will launch a “Delhi chalo” campaign on Saturday if their demands are not met.

11.50am: A smiling Anna Hazare addresses crowds at the Ramlila Maidan and says he is confident that he will not die before a strong Jan Lokpal bill is passed. “Although I have lost 6.5kg I will not stop”

11.15am: Team Anna’s core group sits in a meeting to discuss strategy after Prashant Bhushan says that talks are “back at square one”. Kejriwal, Bedi, Prashant Bhushan and Medha Patekar all attend.