- (1.) This is an application under Art. 32 of the Constitution for appropriate orders for the protection of what the petitioner claims to be his fundamental rights guaranteed by Arts. 14 and 31. This is said to be a test case for on its decision, we are told, depend the rights of numerous other persons whose interests are similar to those of the petitioner.
(2.) There is no serious controversy as to the facts material for the purpose of this application. They are shortly as follows: On 5-5-1948 the then Rules of eight Punjab States including Patiala and Nabha with the concurrence and guarantee of the Government of India entered into a Covenant agreeing to unite and integrate their territories in one State with a common executive, legislature and judiciary by the name of Patiala and East Punjab States Union, hereinafter compendiously referred to as the Pepsu. By Art. III (6) of the Covenant the then Ruler of Patiala became the first President or Raj Pramukh of the Council of Rulers and he is to hold the office during his lifetime. Article VI of the covenant is as follows: " (1) The Ruler of each Covenanting State shall, as soon as may be practicable, and in any event not later than 20-8-1948, make over the administration of his State to the Raj Pramukh, and thereupon, (a) all rights, authority and jurisdiction belonging to the Ruler which appertain, or are incidental to the Government of the Covenanting State shall vest in Union and shall hereafter be exercisable only as provided by this Covenant or by the Constitution to be framed thereunder; (b) all duties and obligations of the Ruler pertaining or incidental to the Government of the Covenanting State shall devolve on the Union and shall be discharged by it; (c) all the assets and liabilities of the Covenanting State shall be the assets and liabilities of the Union, and (d) the military forces, if any of the Covenanting State shall become the military forces of the Union."
(3.) Article X provides for the formation of a Constituent Assembly to frame a constitution of a unitary type for the Union within the framework of the Covenant and the constitution of India. This constituent Assembly was also to function as the interim Legislature of the Union until an elected Legislature came into being. The proviso to cl. (2) of that Article runs as follows: " Provided that until a Constitution framed by the Constituent Assembly comes into operation after receiving the assent of the Raj Pramukh, the Raj Pramukh shall have power to make and promulgate Ordinances for the peace and good Government of the Union or any part thereof, and any Ordinance so made shall, for the space of not more than six months from its promulgation have the like force of law as an Act passed by the Constituent Assembly; but any such Ordinance may be controlled or superseded by any such Act.";