A frightened and shaken British government responded with a policy of brutal repression.About 100,000 people were arrested. Gandhiji was arrested on 4th May, 1930. The government also tried to diffuse the situation by releasing Gandhiji and making him sign the Gandhi-Irwin Pact (the then Viceroy of India) on 5th March, 1931. But the failure of the Second Round Table Conference in 1931 led the Government to begin its repressive measures in 1932 again. Congress was declared illegal and Nehru and Abdul Ghaffar Khan were arrested. All boycotts, meetings and demonstrations were banned by the British.