AFTER nearly a month’s negotiations and discussions between the Cabinet Mission and the Congress leaders, the Congress Working Committee on Friday [June 14] night conditionally rejected the interim as well as the long-term arrangement envisaged in the Cabinet Mission’s proposals, writes the political correspondent of the ‘Associated Press of India’.

The Congress President’s letter which was despatched to the Viceory at 6-30 pm on Friday, comprehensively records Congress criticism of certain aspects of the White Paper proposal of the British Cabinet, vehemently opposes certain others and finally rejects the proposal made by the Viceroy for the Provisional Interim Government, based on parity of representation and the Cabinet Mission’s explanation, contained in their statement of May 25, that some members of the European Community may be elected to the Constituent Assembly in the Bengal and Assam Legislative Assemblies. The interim arrangement has been rejected on the ground that in all the negotiations and discussions, the Viceroy brought in parity of representation; either between the Congress and the Muslim League, or between Hindus and Muslims, or between Caste Hindus and Muslims, and also envisioned division of portfolios between the Congress and the Muslim League on the basis of parity between the two parties….

Published in Dawn, June 15th, 2021