Opinion April 27, 1977, Forty Years Ago: Dissolving Assemblies
It was extraneous as far as the Constitution was concerned to say that because they lost in the general election, they had lost the confidence of the people, De said.
A look at the front page of The Indian Express, published on April 27, 1977, Forty Years Ago 
A look at the front page of The Indian Express, published on April 27, 1977, Forty Years Ago
The fact that a party suffered losses in the general election was no justification for dissolving the state assemblies, Niren De, former attorney-general, told the Supreme Court. De, counsel for Rajasthan, was concluding his arguments before a seven-judge Constitution bench hearing petitions for the injunction to restrain the Union government from dissolving state assemblies or imposing president’s rule. De contended that the assemblies were sought to be dissolved on considerations which were extraneous to Article 356. He said the letter of April 18 from the Union home minister to chief ministers of nine states, commending to them that they advise the governors to dissolve the assemblies, amounted to a threat. The letter, as also the broadcast by the Union law minister, he said, disclosed that the assemblies were sought to be dissolved on extraneous considerations. It was extraneous as far as the Constitution was concerned to say that because they lost in the general election, they had lost the confidence of the people, De said.
Chasnala Mine Probe
The major cause of the Chasnala mine disaster was negligence by the management, the inquiry commission which probed the accident, found. According to the commission, the accident’s cause was a ventilation connection opened at an unauthorised point. If that ventilation connection had been opened a hundred feet away, the accident would probably not have occurred. The accident at Chasnala, near Dhanbad, occurred on December 27, 1975 and killed 375 people.
Indira’s New House
The former prime minister, Indira Gandhi, likely to shift to 12, Willingdon Crescent, has reportedly been asked to furnish a guarantee — signed by a gazetted officer — about payment of rent. The premises, owned by the government, carries a monthly rent of Rs 3,000. Mrs Gandhi is likely to move out of 1, Safdarjung Road, in a couple of weeks.
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