PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 63
(10)
MOTION FOR ADJOURNMENT
ESCAPE OF MIR LAIK ALI OF HYDERABAD FROM CUSTODY.
- Mr. Speaker : May I ask who is the controlling authority or the directing authority, so far as the prosecution of Mir Laik Ali and others is concerned ?
Sardar Patel: The final prosecution sanction is from the Nizam.
The Minister of Law (Dr. Ambedkar): I do not know but the first impression which I have of this matter is this that Hyderabad is like any other State. There is no distinction between Hyderabad State under the Constitution in its relation to the Centre and, say, for instance Bombay in its relation to the Centre, which means that for subject matters set out in List II the responsibility is entirely of the State, while the responsibility, so far as subjects in List I are concerned, belong to the Centre. The same rule would apply to Hyderabad. That is to say that so far as the matter relating to the custody of Laik Ali is concerned, it is a matter of law and order which is undoubtedly under the Constitution a matter for local administration. On that footing, I submit that this is not a matter which constitutionally could be held to be under the control of the Central Government, but I should like to add one more remark, viz. that in view of the fact that there is no local legislature to which the local Ministry could be held to be responsible, it is possible—I speak subject to correction—that whatever action is being taken by the local administration is perhaps done under the power which the Constitution vests in the Central Government of direction and control over certain States. I am not yet aware as to what
- P.D., Vol. 2, Part II, 7th March 1950, pp. 1179-80.