290 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
Dr. Ambedkar: Mr. Deputy-Speaker, yesterday, my hon. friend Mr. Hussain Imam raised a question with regard to an answer which I gave to a question put by Pandit Bhargava with regard to the Adaptation Order issued by the President. Unfortunately I was not present in the House. I wish he had given me previous notice that he was going to raise this matter; I certainly would have been present in the House to give him the answer. From the proceedings, extracts from which were supplied to me yesterday evening. I find that he raised two questions. One question which he raised was that he was not able to obtain a copy of the Adaptation Order although he made an effort to get one. On that point, the facts which I have been able to ascertain are these. The Adaptation Order was published in the Gazette Extraordinary dated the 4th instant. I gave my reply on the 7th. Copies of the Adaptation Order, or rather, of the Gazette, were received in the Constitution Branch on the 10th, the date on which he sent a telephonic message to the Constitution Branch, enquiring as to what had happened to the copies of the Adaptation Order. My information is that the Superintendent whom he contacted on that matter told him that the copies of the Gazette Extraordinary had just reached him and that he was examining whether there were any clerical or printers’ errors. I am told that my hon. friend did not specifically ask for a copy. I do not know, he is in a better position to confirm this or not.
Shri Hussain Imam (Bihar) : I asked for it in the Notice Office and in the Library.
Dr. Ambedkar: I am telling what happened in the Superintendent’s branch. That being so, the hon. Member was not directly supplied any copies from the Constitution Branch. It is obvious that if the copies were received by the Superintendent on the 10th it was not possible for him to supply copies to the Notice Office for distribution among Members of Parliament. That is the position so far as the first complaint is concerned.
I find from the proceedings, extracts of which were sent to me, that the hon. Member also raised a question of privilege.