He started as a florist, drove trucks for the army, but Kisan Baburao Hazare, popularly known as Anna Hazare, was destined to do something else in life. The man, who hails from a humble background, has today emerged as the icon of India's war on corruption.

Gandhian Anna Hazare on Saturday called off his hunger strike bringing to an end his 98-hour protest after government issued a gazette notification constituting a 10-member joint committee of ministers and civil society activists, including him, to draft an effective Lok Pal Bill.

Gandhian Anna Hazare on Friday announced a 'jail bharo' movement across the country on April 13 after the government rejected his demands of chairmanship of the joint drafting committee being given to a civil society member and for a formal notification.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Friday met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and discussed the stalemate on the issue of an effective Lokpal Bill for which Gandhian Anna Hazare has launched a campaign.

Observing that the supporters of Anna Hazare were "obstinate", Congress today asked the social activist to work with the government, contending that "all the substantial and real issues" had been resolved.

Amid the stalemate over Lokpal Bill, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday stepped up efforts to resolve the issue. Mr Singh, who held discussions with Congress president Sonia Gandhi, her political secretary Ahmad Patel, HRD minister Kapil Sibal

Government on Thursday opened a channel of communication with anti-corruption protestors led by Anna Hazare with Union minister Kapil Sibal meeting activists Swami Agnivesh and Arvind Kejriwal to find a way out on the demand for a joint committee on drafting Lokpal Bill.

Social activist Anna Hazare's fast-unto-death entered the third day here on Thursday even as a large number of people from various walks of life continued to extend support to the crusader for a stronger anti-corruption law.

A Nato airstrike on a military tank near Libya's eastern oil town Brega on Thursday killed two rebels and wounded 10, witnesses and AFP correspondents said.

Veteran social reformer Anna Hazare said on Thursday that he will continue his fast until death, if his demand for a role for the civil society in drafting the anti-corruption Lokpal Bill is not met.