52. The Gandhi-Irwin Pact included which of the following? (2020)

1. Invitation to Congress to participate in the Round Table Conference 
2. Withdrawal of Ordinances promulgated in connection with the Civil Disobedience Movement 
3. Acceptance of Gandhi’s suggestion for enquiry into police excesses 
4. Release of only those prisoners who were not charged with violence 

Select the correct answer using the code given below: 

(a) 1 only 

(b) 1, 2 and 4 only

(c) 3 only 

(d) 2, 3 and 4 only 

52. Answer: (b) 

Option (b) is correct: Gandhi-Irwin Pact was signed by Gandhiji on behalf of the Congress and by Lord Irwin on behalf of the Government,on 5 March 1931. The pact placed the Congress on an equal status with the Government. The terms of the agreement included immediate release of all political prisoners not convicted of violence, remission of all fines not yet collected, withdrawal of emergency ordinances promulgated in connection with the Civil Disobedience Movement, return of all lands not yet sold to third parties, to name a few. The viceroy, however, turned down two of Gandhi’s demands which included public inquiry into police excesses and commutation of Bhagat Singh and his comrades’ death sentence to life sentence. Gandhi on behalf of the Congress agreed to suspend the Civil Disobedience Movement and the Congress got the invitation to participate in the next Round Table Conference.