Conard Corfield, the Viceroy's political advisor, inspired the native kings to stay away from the Indian Union through residents and political agents to assist Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Corfield wanted at least two or three states in which Hyderabad was the predominant one, to escape the clutches of the Congress. The inclusion of the rest of the princely states in India should be made as difficult as possible.
Corfield campaigned among the princely states that they had three paths, not two. They may join either of the two colonies or may remain independent. With the efforts of Corfield, Travancore and Hyderabad declared that they would not join any colony but would remain as independent countries.
There were five weeks left in the date of independence. In the meantime Corfield began to remove central authority from the native kingdoms without informing Mountbatten. At his behest, files were burnt in most of the princely states, in which confidential correspondence between the British government and the princely states was kept.
This correspondence was in relation to crimes like atrocities, murders and rapes committed by the kings in their princely states.
Due to the efforts of the corefield, the arrangements between the central government and the princely states were getting canceled, while the chieftains were in a quandary that before 15th August, the kings were concerned about maintaining every arrangement of the kings, such as army, post, etc. how to talk to Patel and Menon thought that Indian kings should be asked to merge only three subjects - defence, foreign affairs and communication.
When Sardar Patel came to know about the actions of the corefield, he informed Mountbatten about the actions of the corefield and demanded that he be relieved immediately and sent to England. The Viceroy was also fed up with the activities of Corfield, so the Viceroy relieved Corfield and sent him to England on the same day.