Why Did Congress Make A Demand For The Division Of Punjab And Bengal Provinces?

The participation of Muslim League in the Interim Government (1946) was distasteful to the Congress. Congress wanted the freedom of India through the Legislative Assembly under the Cabinet Mission Plan. Muslim League had refused to participate in the Legislative Assembly. The League held that it was of no use to participate in the Legislature that was to meet under the rejected plan. This decision of Muslim League frustrated Congress who wanted to see India free as a united country.

The Congress leaders began to demand that either Muslim League should join the Constituent Assembly or its members should resign from the Cabinets. Pandit Nehru did not lose the opportunity to write to the Viceroy asking him for the resignation of the League's members of the Government. Sardar Patel threatened the British Government that the Congress would withdraw if the Muslim League did not quit the Government. But what would happen if the Congress demand for the resignation of the Muslim League from the Government was not met?

If at all the Muslim League was ousted, would it be possible to prepare a workable constitution? Would the constitution drawn up without the collaboration of Muslim League be likely to receive the sanction of the British Government? Answers to these questions were quite uncertain and the Congress was not unaware of the situation. However, it was quite clear that any step taken towards the formation of constitution without the cooperation of Muslim League would definitely lead to a horrible civil war all over the country.

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