Q. Which date in 1946 was chosen by Jinnah for Direct Action Day?
Answer: 16 August
Notes: On 30 July 1946, Jinnah contended with the British that he did not believe in Congress and the British government should invite him, rather than the Congress, to form a government. In the absence of any action in that respect from the British government, Jinnah took the extreme step. He asked the (Muslim) qaum to observe 16 August 1946 as Direct Action Day. He said that "Today we bid goodbye to constitutional methods. Throughout, the British and the Congress held a pistol in their hand, the one of authority and arms and the other of mass struggle and non-cooperation. Today we have also forged a pistol and are in a position to use it… We will have either a divided India, or a destroyed India.” The result was the Calcutta Carnage or Great Calcutta Killings, the worst communal riot instigated by the Muslim League, that left 5,000 to 10,000 dead and around 15,000 injured.