Mr. Patel, the President of the Legislative Assembly, has resigned.
In a rather patronizing letter to the Viceroy he said, "My people are engaged in a life-and- death struggle for freedom. At such a juncture my proper place is with my countrymen, with whom I have decided to stand shoulder to shoulder." Lord Irwin in accepting the resignation pointed out that Mr. Patel's statement that it was he who had influenced the Govern- ment to remedy the wrong in connexion with the Bardoli land taxes was unfounded. "I can only hope," the Viceroy said, "that you and those with whom you are to be openly associated may come to realize how grave a wrong you do to India by rejecting the way of peace that lies open through free conferences with His Majesty's Government, in order to encourage your countrymen to deliberate and dangerous defiance of the law."
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