Direct action was called by Muhammad Ali Jinnah after the 1946 Cabinet Mission proposals for an indepedent India failed to meet the expectations of both the Indian National Congress and the Muslim League. The Muslim League felt that the Congress would not follow through on its promises after the transfer of power. Jinnah rejected the idea of a united federal India and called for outright division of India based on religion.

The Direct Action of 16^th August led to communal violence between Hindus and Muslims in Calcutta. Violence then spread to other parts of India. The extreme downturn in inter-communal relations made the partition of India more likely.