1032 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
ARTICLE 215
*The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : I have nothing to say, Sir.
Sardar Hukam Singh : Sir, I have no amendment to move. I have one objection to clause (2) of this article, to which I want to draw the attention of the President of the Drafting Committee. The phraseology looks to me as derogatory to the sovereignty of the Parliament and I would request him, if possible to change the words :
... I only want to bring this to the notice of the Chairman of the Drafting Committee.
Mr. President : Sardar Hukam Singh has made certain suggestions with regard to paragraph 2. He says that it is derogatory to the authority of Parliament to say that the President will repeal or amend any law made by Parliament and that the words should be so modified as to indicate that the power of Parliament is not in any way subordinated.
The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : That is so. It is a kind of adaptation. In regard to the autonomous districts of Assam the Governor of Assam has similar power to adapt the laws made by Parliament when he thinks fit so to do. The whole law made by Parliament cannot be applied to certain peculiarly constituted territories unless they are adapted.
Sardar Hukam Singh : Is that a sufficient answer, Sir ? My suggestion was that it is derogatory to the sovereignty of Parliament to say that the President would repeal an Act passed by Parliament.
Mr. President : The suggestion is about a word and not about the power ?
The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : The President is part of Parliament. There is no difficulty at all.
Mr. President : I will now put the amendment of Shri Brajeshwar Prasad to vote.
[Amendment was negatived. Article 215 was added to the constitution.]
ARTICLE 303
†Mr. President : Article 303. We can now take up the definition article 303.
The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : Mr. President, I move :
“That sub-clause (c) of clause (1) of article 303 be omitted.”
The motion was adopted.
*CAD, Vol. IX, 16th September 1949, pp. 1581-1582.
† Ibid., p. 1583.