§ Mr. RAMSAY MACDONALDasked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether he is now in a position to state under what law a warrant has been issued against Arabindo Ghose; whether proceedings are to be taken against the printer of his paper as well as against himself; and whether copies of the offending article can be placed in the Library for the information of Members?
§ The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for INDIA (Mr. Montagu)I have already informed the hon. Member that proceedings are being taken against Mr. Ghose by the Government of Bengal, under Section 124 (a) of the Indian Penal Code. We have no knowledge of any proceedings against the printer of his paper. The full text of the subject-matter of the prosecution has not yet reached the Secretary of State. To act on my hon. Friend's suggestion would not only mean a departure from the practice of avoiding the advertisement of literature alleged to be seditious, but would almost inevitably lead to a result which, I am sure, my hon. Friend would be the first to deprecate—the prejudging, one way or the other, of a case that must be decided in an Indian court of law.