Once a mentor, Anna Hazare is now accusing former Delhi chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal of being “power hungry”.

Hazare said he was disappointed that Kejriwal had not responded to his 17-point agenda.

“I had handed over a 17-point agenda letter to Kejriwal and told him that I would support him if he agrees to it. But till date, neither Kejriwal nor his party has given me any assurance on it. It is now very clear that these (AAP and Kejriwal) people are thinking of power more than of the nation. (Even if AAP comes to power) nation will not have any bright future as there will be no difference between them and other parties,” the social activist said on Thursday.

The remarks have come even as Hazare backed West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee for the prime minister’s post, as the latter had agreed to the Gandhian’s 17-point agenda.

Listing out his agenda and seeking various CMs’ response to it, Hazare had said that village-centric social and economic initiatives and proposals like promoting vocational education and tough laws against corruption should be made part of the government’s agenda.

“I didn’t support any political party in the past. For the first time in my life, I have announced support to Banerjee because no other party responded to my letter except her. I feel if the 17-point agenda is implemented, it will change the entire picture of the nation,” he said.

“She is the only leader who responded to my letter seeking support on 17 issues for good governance,” he noted.

“Mamata Banerjee has fought for the society and has faced physical assaults in national interest and I feel such people should lead the country. That is the reason I have extended my support to Banerjee. However, this support will be only till the coming polls,” he said.

“I have not supported Mamata Banerjee the person or the party but I liked her social and national perspective,” he said.

“I have extended my support to Mamata Banerjee as she thinks and works only for society and country. She is a CM and can lead a life full of luxury but she leads a simple life,” Hazare said, justifying his support to the TMC chief.

“I support the spirit of sacrifice that I see in Mamata Banerjee.”

The Delhi Court on Friday dismissed the proposal of veteran Congress leader ND Tiwari for settlement of paternity case outside the court after his biological son Rohit Shekhar refused to do so.

Seeking to settle the matter peacefully, the proposal to settle the matter “amicably” outside the court was put forth by Tiwari on February 19.

The paternity suit was filed by Shekhar in 2008, in which he had claimed that Tiwari was his biological father. However, the Congress leader has denied the claim.

The court had declared Tiwari as the biological father of Shekhar in 2012 on the basis of the DNA test report and directed him to pay a fine of Rs. 2.5 lakh to the petitioner.

However, Tiwari expressed his inability to pay the fine claiming that being a retired freedom fighter, he survives on pension.

The court had also rejected his plea to be allowed to be cross-examined outside the court owing to his ill-health.

In a tragic incident, six policemen were killed in Naxal ambush in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada district on Friday.

Five police jawans, including a SHO were killed in the ambush. Earlier this month four Maoists were arrested in Dantewada district.

The incident took place when a police patrol party headed by SHO, Kuwakonda, Vivek Shukla was on way to Shyamgiri Hills for security of an under-construction road near Kuwakonda-Bacheli, a senior police official said.

The patrol team comprising around 10 police jawans was moving on motorcycles when armed rebels opened indiscriminate firing on them, resulting in the death of SHO Shukla and five other policemen on the spot, he said.

In 2010, the Leftwing guerrillas ambushed and massacred 76 security personnel in the dense forests of Chhattisgarh in the worst such attack since the Maoist rebellion erupted 43 years ago.

Fearing leakage of their strategies ahead of Lok Sabha polls, Naxals are keeping a close watch on people who could act as informers and pass on information using mobile phones in villages of their hot-bed Bastar.

In some pockets of restive Narayanpur district comprising a major part of the Abhujmad region, local cadres are visiting villages and collecting information about mobile users and even asking them to deposit the gadgets with rebels assuring to return them after the Lok Sabha elections.

Two brothers were shot dead in an apparent road rage case in Outer Delhi’s Bawana area.

The incident took place at around 10:30 AM when the two brothers, identified as Shadab Singh and Kaptan Singh, had an argument with Rahul alias Kalu over parking of his car.

“Rahul then shot the two brothers and fled from the spot in his car. The two were rushed to a nearby hospital where they were declared brought dead,” said a senior police official.

Rahul is said to be a known criminal of the area and a manhunt has been launched to nab him. The car’s number which was used by him has been flashed and barricades have been erected on all major escape routes, police said.

A police team led by senior officials is on the spot and further investigations are underway.

IPS officer Sampath Kumar, who had deposed before the Supreme Court committee probing the Indian Premier League match-fixing and betting scandal, has been suspended by the Tamil Nadu government. No reason has been given for this decision.

Sampath Kumar, had told the Justice Mukul Mudgal committee that Tamil Nadu police officers had avoided investigating the match-fixing angle to the May 12, 2013, IPL tie between Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals. The police officer’s statement, carried widely by the Indian media, links Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s name with allegations made by bookies.

Sampath Kumar told in a note to the Mudgal Committee, set up last October by Supreme Court, to conduct an independent inquiry into the allegations of corruption against Gurunath Meiyappan and Chennai Super Kings team owner India Cements.

Sampath Kumar, who initially investigated the betting racket for two weeks while he was working in the Q Branch, a state intelligence wing, came under the scanner himself when one of the arrested bookies, Mahendar Randak, told police that he collected 55 lakh from several bookies and punters on the officer’s instructions. The money was allegedly handed over to a few people close to Kumar, the bookie had alleged. CB-CID officials seized Rs. 55 lakh and about 10kg silver from them. Though Kumar was questioned, he claimed Randak merely helped him repay old debts. He was transferred out of the Q Branch, but no further action was taken.

The Tamil Nadu CB-CID police on Wednesday asserted that investigation covering all “relevant factors” including IPL match-fixing and betting were under progress. “We are investigating in all angles; whether it is betting on IPL matches or match fixing following emergence of new leads. All relevant factors are being looked into and these will be reflected in the charge sheet,” a top official of the investigative agency said speaking on the condition of anonymity.

A self styled godman and his barbaric acts have shocked the people in Belgaum district of Karnataka. A seven-year-old girl was rescued from the ashram of the self styled godman Sadashiv alias Appayya Swamy and his aides. The police have rescued the little girl from the ashram and arrested the fake godman. He has now been sent to a jail. The fake godman claims that he has adopted the girl child. The traumatized child has been admitted to a hospital.

The fake godman claimed that the girl had not taken food or water for 20 days and he had kept her alive through spiritual powers. According to media reports, the police have found food, water, kerosene and other items used for rituals inside the 11 X 1 feet wide and 9 feet high cell, where the child Nijalingamma Channappa Doddamani was kept. The local administration has also rescued five more children from the ashram.

The fake godman had publicised that he was performing the Yog Samadhi of a girl child for the welfare of the society. He had claimed that the girl would be burnt alive and brought back to the life on Maha Shivaratri day. He had distributed pamphlets and collected even donations from the villagers. According to a report in a local newspaper ashram authorities placed the girl under logs of wood and burnt the pyre

As hundreds of devotees witnessed the event amid chants, the girl was whisked away and her body smeared with black paint and ash to show that she had been charred to death. Later she was confined in the underground cellar and the plan was to produce her alive on Shivarathri day to fool the devotees.