A further charge, which has been brought to Mr. Gandhi is that the
recent measures of Government have involved a departure from the
civilised policy laid down by His Excellency at the time of the apology
of the Ali brothers, namely, that the Government of India should not
interfere with the activities of the non-co-operators so long as they
remained non-violent in word and deed. The following citation from the
_communique_ of Government of India issued on the 30th May, conclusively
disproves this statement:--
"After explaining that in view of the solemn undertaking contained in
the statement over their signature it had been decided to refrain from
instituting criminal proceedings against Messrs. Mahammad Ali and
Shaukat Ali, the Government of India observed, it must not be inferred
from the original determination of the Government to prosecute for
speeches inciting to violence that promoting disaffection of a less
violent character is not an offence against the law. The Government of
India desire to make it plain that they will enforce the law relating to
offences against the State, as and when they may think fit against any
persons who have committed breaches of it."