“SPECIAL PLEADING.”

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 75, 25 February 1938, Page 9

“SPECIAL PLEADING.”

STATEMENT BY VICEROY. MR GANDHI’S VIEWS. . LONDON, Feb. 24. ‘‘Lord Linlithgow’s statement on February 22 is special pleading unworthy of a personage possessing unheard of powers,” declared Mr Gandhi. The right of examining the cases of political prisoners belonged to responsible Ministers, while the Governors’ duty was to advise the Ministers on questions of broad policy and warn them of the danger of consequences, after which they left the Ministers free.

He added that the Ministers would find, difficulty in shouldering the responsibility, unless the question were decided in their favour. Nevertheless, the Viceroy left the door open for the Governors to negotiate with the Ministers.

The Marquess of Linlithgow (Viceroy of India) said there ivas no going back on the policy of readiness to examine individual cases and to grant releases of political prisoners where there was no undue risk involved. There was, further, no impropriety in the Governors’ requiring individual examination or declining, with it, to accept the advice of their Ministers. Finally, there was no foundation for the suggestion that the action he had taken was dictated by a desire to undermine the position of Congress Ministers. Neither the Governors nor the Governor-General had any desire to interfere. After stressing the fat* that Congress Ministers need expect no difficulty in securing the friendly and ready co-opcration of the Governors, the Viceroy added that there was apparently no disposition to extend the area of difficulty beyond the limits of the present position, and he hoped for an early return to normality in the two provinces most concerned.