The resignation letter of independent India’s first Law Minister, B.R. Ambedkar, have been lost.
The issue initiated after an application was made under the Right to Information Act of 2005 seeking certified copy of Dr. Ambedkar’s resignation letter, which was accepted by the then-President.
Prashant, who wrote to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Cabinet Secretariat, and President’s Secretariat, also wanted to know the reasons for the first Law Minister’s resignation.
After the PMO forwarded the application to the Cabinet Secretariat, the latter informed that the President of India accepted Dr Ambedkar’s resignation as Minister of Law with effect from October 11, 1951. The date on which the Prime Minister accepted his resignation may be available in the PMO. said the Cabinet Secretariat’s Chief Public Information Officer (CPIO).
The President’s Secretariat confirmed in writing to the Central Information Commission (CIC) that the document could not be found despite an extensive search in the Constitutional Affairs Section.
Prashant filed an appeal with the CIC after receiving no further information from the CPIOs of the three top offices.
He contended that Dr. Ambedkar’s resignation letter should be kept in the records of the PMO or the President’s Secretariat because these two offices were the only ones with the authority to accept or reject the resignation of any member of the Council of Ministers.
On February 10, Chief Information Commissioner Y.K. Sinha passed the Order stating-
Keeping in view the facts of the case and the submissions made by all the parties, the Commission is of the view that only such information that is held and available with a public authority can be provided and no direction can be issued for creation of any record. After examining the detailed submissions made by all the parties, it appears that the custody of the information may lie with the President’s Secretariat. However, it a categorical submission from the President’s Secretariat that no information is held on their record. Hence, no further intervention can be made by the Commission at this stage. With the above observation, the instant Second Appeal stands disposed off accordingly.
