DRAFT CONSTITUTION 491
provision, then he gets the salary of the President. But Parliament may make provision to give him a different salary. It is for that purpose the amendment has been moved.
Shri H. V. Kamath : Sir, may I invite the attention of my Honourable Friend Dr. Ambedkar to article 48 clause (4) which lays down that the emoluments and allowances of the President shall not be diminished during his term of office ? Am I to understand that you make a distinction between the Vice-President acting as President and the President ?
The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : Yes, certainly.
Shri H. V. Kamath : Sir, Just now when I raised objection to an amendment to the last article. Dr. Ambedkar said that the VicePresident shall draw the salary and allowances of the President while acting as President.
The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : Unless Parliament otherwise provides, the Vice-Presidents gets the salary of the President when he acts for him. There is no reason why Parliament should not be given authority to fix the scales of pay of a President who may be there for a short duration.
Pandit Bhargava raised another point and that was to the effect that there was no provision for the impeachment of the Vice-President when acting as President. Obviously, when a Vice-President becomes the President, all the duties and obligations which are imposed upon the President fall upon him without making any express mention of the fact at all. If during his tenure of office as President, the Vice-President commits any of the offences or acts which expose the President to the risk of being impeached, he will not have any kind of immunity by reason of the fact that he is either a Vice-President or is acting as President, pro tempore. There is therefore no necessity for making any provision for it.
Mr. Naziruddin Ahmad : Mr. Vice-President, may I ask………
The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : I do not submit myself to any cross examination at this stage.
Mr. Vice-Pesident : Mr. Naziruddin Ahmad may go back to his seat.
Mr. Naziruddin Ahmad : I want to draw the attention of the Honourable Dr. Ambedkar to an oversight.