Mr. Vice-President, Sir, this article has created a lot of discussion by way of amendments, particularly as regards clauses (1), (2) and (5). The rest of them are formal. Clause (1) relates to the appointment of the Prime Minister by the President and the former appointing his colleagues as other ministers. Several amendments have been moved which state that the President should call the person who enjoys the confidence of the House and who could form a stable ministry. Sir, this is really a very good suggestion undoubtedly and from our past experience we know that the Governors of some provinces have intentionally called, for their own convenience and for their own purpose, a person who did not enjoy the confidence of the House, and who had hardly a following of a small minority, to form a cabinet. We have got the instances of Bengal, of Assam, of Orissa, of Sind and of the Punjab. And these Governors created hell and created mischief by appointing a person who did not at all enjoy the confidence of the House. And what was the other aspect of it? When a ministry was thus formed under the 1935 Act, no session could be called, until the next budget session came, once in a year. So the man enjoyed the benefits of his Ministry for full one year, and then when the budget came, he had consolidated his position by offering various kinds of bribes and jobs to members, and showed that he enjoyed the confidence of the House. Of course, I do realise under the new constitution, conditions have changed, and in the Instrument of Instructions it is stated that the Prime Minister should be such and such who enjoys the confidence of the House–that is in Schedule III A. I know that the Schedule also forms part of the Constitution. Therefore, I say this is a good suggestion. Keeping in mind all that has happened in the past, I support this motion, for this reason that our Governors and our Presidents will not be irresponsible persons. If a President were to call a person who really did not enjoy the confidence of the House that President would be subject to impeachment under these clauses and the Prime Minister also to dismissal.
