On 4 June 1947, Mountbatten received information that in this evening's prayer meeting, Gandhi would appeal to the countrymen to reject the plan of Partition.
On this Mountbatten called Gandhiji and told him that- 'The whole plan of partition has been made according to your instructions. So don't oppose this plan.'
That evening Gandhiji only said in the prayer meeting that- 'What will happen only by blaming the Viceroy? The answer to what is happening and what is going to happen is hidden in our own hearts. Why don't we look into our hearts before saying anything to someone?'
Commenting on this statement of Gandhi, Hansraj Rahbar has written- 'Gandhi had said that Pakistan will be built on my dead body and when it was made, adopted this cunning method of passing judgment.'
Partitioned India's foreign policy should remain one
On 5 June 1947, Mountbatten again met the leaders of various parties and discussed the implementation of the plan of partition. In this meeting, Jinnah clarified his intention and said that both the states to be formed in future should remain independent and on equal footing in every way.
Nehru said that we should adopt a different approach in this matter. The administration of India is being run as before. The work of the Government of India or the implementation of its foreign policy should not be hampered even if some dissatisfied provinces are allowed to secede. There was a lot of tension in this meeting.
Declaration of Independence Date When the Congress of the Hindus of India, the Muslim League of the Muslims, and Baldev Singh, the leader of the Sikhs, accepted the plan to partition India, Mountbatten organized a press conference. In this conference, he announced the independence of India in the form of two colonies in the near future.
When a journalist asked Mountbatten about the date of independence, Mountbatten declared 15 August 1947 as the date. This was the date of Japan's surrender in World War II.