Specimen Paper 1 — Question 20

The Mountbatten Plan was accepted by the Congress because of following two key reasons:

1. Large-Scale Communal Riots — The large-scale communal riots that engulfed the whole country convinced the Congress leaders that the only solution to the communal problem lay in the Partition of India.
2. Avoidance of Civil War — The leaders felt that any further delay in the transfer of power could lead to a civil war in India. They believed that it was better to have a smaller India with a strong central authority than a larger state with a weak center.