Minutes of the Meeting

Summary

These one-page minutes record a General Body meeting of the Swatantra Parliamentary Party held in Parliament House, New Delhi, on 16 November 1969, and issued on 17 November. The record lists 40 members present, with Prof. N. G. Ranga in the chair and D. N. Patodia serving as secretary. The meeting addressed reports of defections involving P. N. Solanki and Dahyabhai Parmar, and decided that a press note should correct the report that Ramchandra Amin had joined the Congress while continuing to be a Swatantra Party member.

The substantive discussion concerned the Rabat question. The members reached a consensus that the party should move a censure motion against the Government for its failure at Rabat. Nawabzada Zulfiqar Ali Khan stated that he could not oppose either Mrs. Gandhi or the censure motion and would vote with the Government. The minutes also stress strict attendance and coordination during a critical parliamentary session, requiring members leaving the House to inform the party office and prohibiting departure from the station without prior permission from the party leadership.

Key points

• The meeting was held on 16 November 1969 at Parliament House, New Delhi, and the minutes were dated 17 November 1969.
• Forty members were recorded as present, with Prof. N. G. Ranga in the chair.
• The party discussed and sought to correct reports concerning members allegedly leaving Swatantra for the Congress.
• Members agreed that a censure motion should be moved against the Government over its failure at Rabat.
• Nawabzada Zulfiqar Ali Khan said he would vote with the Government rather than oppose Mrs. Gandhi or the censure motion.
• The leadership instructed members to maintain attendance and notify the party office before leaving parliamentary proceedings.
• The meeting concluded with a vote of thanks to the chair.