§ 12. Major-General Sir ALFRED KNOXasked the Secretary of State for India how it was possible for the Red Shirts, which had been declared an illegal organisation, to interfere effectively with the recent elections in the North-West Frontier Provinces?
§ Sir S. HOAREAs my hon. and gallant Friend will appreciate, it does not follow that because an association is declared unlawful all of its members are imprisoned or otherwise controlled as to their movements. I would, however, point out that the only places where the elections were interfered with were the Mardan and Charsadda sub-divisions of the Peshawar District.
§ Sir A. KNOXIs it not rather remarkable that this illegal organisation is able to mobilise 30,000 troops and prevent 300 out of 4,000 electors from recording their votes?
§ Sir S. HOAREMy hon. and gallant Friend will remember that this organisation has been in existence for a considerable period of time, and therefore it is not surprising to find that it cannot be suppressed in a day. Upon the whole, the elections went off not unsatisfactorily.