DR. AMBEDKAR AND THE HINDU CODE BILL 475
Mr. Speaker : He need not repeat it; he may proceed further.
Mr. Naziruddin Ahmad : The other point is that not merely have substantial changes been made without sufficient or any clear notice to the Select Committee . . .
Shri L. Krishnaswami Bharathi : That is what we want to object to. He cannot say so. We knew it fully well.
Mr. Naziruddin Ahmad : If the Honourable Minister for Law is unaware of the change and if honourable Members are repeatedly asking me to point out the substantial changes it shows that they are unaware of them and accepted the changes bona fide without knowing them. I think the changes were introduced by some over-zealous draftsman who thought of improving the Bill and he introduced some bona fide changes without realising that he was thereby making a new Bill altogether, and nobody saw through it.
The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar: I must really protest against this. It is a grave reflection on the Draftsman. My friend is almost suggesting that after the Select Committee had considered everything the Draftsman took it into his head to make changes in the Bill. I very strongly protest against it.
Shri L. Krishnaswami Bharathi : And we protest against the way in which he is insinuating against the Select Committee Members.
Mr. Speaker : Changes made after the Select Committee report ?
The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : That is what he is suggesting.
Mr. Speaker : He means “before”.
Mr. Naziruddin Ahmad : Yes, Sir, I am absolutely certain that I said that the changes had been made before the Select Committee met.
Mr. Speaker : There appears to be some misapprehension.
The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar: I have no idea. If I understand my friend’s speech it simply means that the Select Committee blind-foldedly signed the report without going into anything or it means that after the Select Committee had done its work the Draftsman took it into his head to introduce some changes. It cannot have any other meaning.
Mr. Naziruddin Ahmad : As to whether the changes were made bona fide or in a careless or mala fide manner it is not material for us to go into.