Here in this, he had convinced himself that it was difficult to go by the individual Members in their loyalty because it was changing. He also had expressed the view that these people were under undemocratic influence, as he has mentioned himself. So I personally do not think that the Governor’s view was unobjective. I would certainly offer further information about it that when the Governor had invited this person, some of the Opposition leaders felt that certainly it was a challenge and should be taken on the floor of the House and the question should be decided. This view was conveyed to me and the view was conveyed to the President and we, who wanted to restore responsible Government there on the basis of the elections advised the Chief Minister and the Governor to advance the date of the Legislative Assembly which was called originally on the 20th or 21st March by one week. It was decided that the Assembly should be called on the 14th March and really speaking, the whole question could have been decided there and then but unfortunately the Opposition parties took another view and that view was to fight the issue not on the floor of the House but to fight the issue on the streets.
Shri Bhupesh Gupta : That has been repudiated by the Opposition parties.
Shri Y. B. Chavan : We seriously object to this method and really speaking - you wanted me to answer to the essence of Mr. Gupta’s point the reply to the essence of his whole speech is that we did not succumb to the pressure on the streets.
In reply to the questions posed by Shri Vimal Kumar Mannalalji Chordia (Madhya Pradesh) :
Shri Y. B. Chavan : Sir, I think I have answered the hon. Member’s questions in the statement I have made. If he reads my statement again, I think he will find all the answers therein. There was no question of Congressmen indulging in any violent activity there. The reference to pistol I have made in the statement was from what transpired from the Press conference that the Governor held there. I have not given any opinion on my own.
It is an incident to which the Governor himself made a reference. Again I would like to say, leaving aside the question of majority for the moment, what the basic issue is, what our intention behind this Proclamation is. Our intention behind this Proclamation is that a situation had arisen a day before the Assembly was called to, when Mr. Sukhadia did not want to form the Government there, and it was because he felt that there would be further disturbances.Now let us forget party loyalties; let us leave aside the political situation. Constitutionally the invitation was sent to Mr. Sukhadia because he felt that he commanded a majority. Whether this was right or wrong, I do not want to go into the merits of the case, but then the invitation was with him. On the 12th of March Mr. Sukhadia, taking into account the condition that prevailed in Rajasthan, felt affected by it and he did not want to create a situation where there would be further disturbances, and therefore he did not do so. He took a view that was quite right, based on a certain assessment, with which we agreed.
