Indian P.M.’s seat returned

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33917, 9 August 1975, Page 15

Indian P.M.’s seat returned

,V 7 Press Issn—Copiirtght NEW DELHI. August « India's Parliament gate final approval todav to a constitutional amendment overturning the conviction for corrupt electoral practices of the Prime Minister (Mrs Gandhi).

The upper house voted 161 to mine in favour ot the amende ent. which the lower house passed 336 to none yesterday.

Opposition members con tinned their two-week-old boycott in protest against the arrest of their leaders at the start of Mrs Gandhi's emergency rule on June 26. and imposition of tight censorshin rules that restrict Parliamentary reporting only to Government statements.

The constitutional amendment. which has the effect of giving back to Mrs Gandhi her Parliamentary seat, which she lost in a June 12 Allahabad High Court ruling, must he ratified bv a majority of the 22 state assemblies. Most of the assemblies have already been summoned to special sessions tomorrow to annrove the amendment, which is expected to go to President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed lor his automatic assent on Sundav—a day before Mrs Gandhi's Supreme Court appeal of her conviction is due to begin. The thirty-ninth Constitutional Amendment Bill puts the elections to Parliament of the President. Vice-President. Prime Minister and Parliamentary Speaker above challenge by the judiciary'. The bill also renders null and void anv court proceeding on elections pending against anyone holding one of these four offices. Instead it provides that one or more special bodies will be created to deal with such election cases.

Also incorporated in the bill are 38 clauses covering economic, financial, social and land reform policies of the Government as well as the Maintenance ol Internal Securitv Act which offers sweeping arrest powers.