On June 2, 1947, Mountbatten invited Nehru, Patel and Congress President Acharya Kriplani on behalf of the Congress, Jinnah, Liaquat Ali and Rabanistar on behalf of the Muslim League and Sardar Baldev Singh, representing six million Sikhs, to his residence and asked them to Handed over copies of Mountbatten Plan.
These leaders took copies of the plan from Mountbatten but were apprehensive of Gandhiji's future course of action. Lord Ismay and Sir Eric Melville also attended this meeting along with Lord Mountbatten.
Commenting on the behavior of the leaders at Mountbatten's residence on June 2, 1947, Mountbatten wrote- 'I was feeling a strange thing. All of them were secretly against Gandhi inside. Soon they joined me. He started provoking me……. It must be said that in a way he wanted to give through me rather than challenge Gandhi himself. '
After the Congress, Muslim League and Sikh leaders left, Mountbatten called Gandhiji and appealed to him not to oppose the plan. Gandhiji observed silence that day, so he wrote on a paper and informed the Viceroy that I cannot speak today and would like to discuss with you sometime.
Jinnah's deceit
On June 2, 1947, Mountbatten again met Jinnah at his residence and wanted Jinnah to write to him that the Muslim League had accepted the plan of partition. On this Jinnah refused to give in writing and replied that- 'It will be decided by the working committee of Muslim League.' Stanley Wolpert wrote this conversation as follows-
Montbatten asked Jinnah- 'Will the Muslim League's Working Committee accept this plan or not?
Jinnah replied- 'Hope is there.
Mountbatten asked- 'Is he ready to accept this plan himself?
Jinnah said- 'He is personally with Mountbatten and will try his best that the All India Muslim League Council also accepts it.
Mountbatten reminded Jinnah- 'Congress party has always been looking at you with suspicion because of your tactics. Your approach has always been that you first wait for the Congress to take a final decision on any plan, so that you get an opportunity to take a decision favorable to the Muslim League. If this is your attitude, then in the morning meeting the leaders of the Congress party and the Sikhs will refuse to put their stamp on the plan, which will result in chaos and your Pakistan will be out of your hands forever.'
Jinnah said- 'Whatever has to happen, it will happen'
Mountbatten said- 'Mr. Jinnah, I cannot allow you to waste your hard work for this settlement. Since you are not giving approval on behalf of the Muslim League, I myself have to speak on his behalf. ..... I have only one condition that when I say in the morning meeting that Mr. Jinnah has given me this assurance, which I have accepted and with which I am satisfied, you will not contradict it at any cost and when I look at you you will nod in agreement……..'
Jinnah only nodded his head to the Viceroy's offer.