Q. With reference to the demand for a Constituent Assembly in India, consider the following statements:
1.The idea of a Constituent Assembly for India was put forward for the first time by M.N. Roy, a pioneer of the communist movement, in 1934.
2.The Indian National Congress officially demanded a Constituent Assembly to frame the Constitution of free India at its Lahore session in 1929.
3.The British Government accepted the demand for the first time in principle through the ‘August Offer’ of 1940.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Answer: C
Notes:
Explanation:
- Statement 1: Correct.N. Roy was the first to formalize this specific demand.
- Statement 2: Incorrect. The Indian National Congress (INC) officially demanded a Constituent Assembly to frame the Constitution of free India for the first time in 1935. This followed the initial, non-official proposal by M.N. Roy in 1934. The demand was further formalized at the Lucknow session in April 1936, presided over by Jawaharlal Nehru, which insisted on a constitution framed without outside interference. Congress reiterated this demand throughout the late 1930s.
- Statement 3: Correct. Facing the pressure of WWII, the British issued the August Offer, admitting that Indians should primarily decide their own constitution.
