This is an archive article published on July 20, 2018

Opinion Forty years ago, July 20, 1978

Prime Minister Morarji Desai rejected the demand that he should place before Parliament the correspondence between him and the former home minister, Charan Singh.

The Lok Sabha passed a Bill to repeal the Maintenance of Internal Security Act of 1971 which reminded the members of the dark days of the Emergency.

By: Editorial

July 20, 2018 12:18 AM IST First published on: Jul 20, 2018 at 12:18 AM IST

The Lok Sabha passed a Bill to repeal the Maintenance of Internal Security Act of 1971 which reminded the members of the dark days of the Emergency.

Desai-Singh Letters

Prime Minister Morarji Desai rejected the demand that he should place before Parliament the correspondence between him and the former home minister, Charan Singh. He said the letters exchanged by him and Charan Singh were “privileged communications between ministers”. Both of them had marked the letters “secret” and hence the contents could not be disclosed. Desai did not heed the suggestion that the letters be shown to the party leaders or a committee of the House. Desai said the members could take corruption charges against his son and other ministers to the Lokpal when that functionary is appointed.

MISA Repealed

The Lok Sabha passed a Bill to repeal the Maintenance of Internal Security Act of 1971 which reminded the members of the dark days of the Emergency. There was applause from all sides as the speaker, K S Hegde, declared the Bill was passed.

Target Indira

The government has taken no decision to disenfranchise Indira Gandhi. This was stated in the Lok Sabha by the Union Minister of State for Home Dhanik Lai Mandal. The question of setting up a special court to try Gandhi is under the active consideration of the government, Minister of State for Home S D Patil told the House. The minister said the government had decided to seek the opinion of the Supreme Court on the setting up of the court in view of doubts expressed about the validity of such a legislation.

Sharing Rivers

Bihar and Bengal put the seal on the bilateral agreement for sharing water resources of co-basin rivers, leaving room for Orissa to join in at a later stage with respect to the Subernarekha-Karkhal basin. Bihar Chief Minister Karpoori Thakur and West Bengal Chief Minister Jyoti Basu signed the agreement at a simple ceremony on behalf of their respective state governments.