Why was Lord Mountbatten Killed? The unsolved mystery of India's last Viceroy [READ]

Lord Louis Mountbatten, the first Governor-General of independent India and the last Viceroy, was assassinated under mysterious circumstances in 1979. The mystery of his murder remains unsolved even after several decades. The CIA and British intelligence are under suspicion

Who was Lord Mountbatten?

Lord Louis Mountbatten was the first Governor-General of independent India. India became independent and the partition of India and Pakistan took place under the supervision of Mountbatten, the last Viceroy of India. In fact, Mountbatten belonged to the British Royal Family. He was the great-grandson of Queen Victoria and cousin of Queen Elizabeth II of Britain.

Father changed family name during World War I

In fact, Lord Louis Mountbatten's father changed his family's title from Battenberg to Mountbatten during World War I. So Lord Louis Battenberg's name also became Lord Louis Mountbatten. Mountbatten played an important role during the First and Second World Wars. Mountbatten also took the initiative to surrender Japan in 1945.

First Governor-General of independent India

Lord Mountbatten, who was successful on the diplomatic front, was sent as the Viceroy of India in 1947 by the then British Prime Minister Clement Attlee. This was the time when the British were leaving India. In such a situation, they needed a person like Mountbatten. Mountbatten, who arrived in India as the last Viceroy, prepared the blueprint for the transfer of power to the interim government of India and its partition. The partition of India - as India and Pakistan - took place under the supervision of Mountbatten. After independence, Mountbatten was appointed the first Governor-General of independent India. He remained the Governor-General of India till June 1948. After this C. Rajagopalachari became the Governor-General of the country. In 1953, Lord Mountbatten returned to the British Navy. Mountbatten began his career with the Royal Navy of Britain in 1916 and retired in 1965.

Mountbatten's assassination

27 August 1979 was recorded as a black day in history. This was the day when Lord Louis Mountbatten, a member of the British royal family and the last Viceroy of the country, was assassinated. The 'Shadow V' ship on which Mountbatten was aboard was blown up by a bomb. Andrew Lownie, author of 'Mountbatten: Their Lives and Loves', told the BBC that fifty pounds of gelignite had exploded. It blew wood, metal, cushions, life jackets, shoes and everything into the air. Silence fell there in a few seconds. It was the fateful morning of Monday, August 27, 1979. Mountbatten was accompanied on his ship Shadow by his daughter Patricia, her husband Lord John Brabourne, their 14-year-old twin sons - Timothy and Nicholas and Lord Brabourne's mother Doreen Brabourne. Paul Maxwell, a 15-year-old who worked on that ship, was also there. Mountbatten, Nicholas and Maxwell were killed instantly. Doreen Brabourne also died the next day. Others survived.

Who was behind this murder?

The Irish Republican Army (IRA) was said to be behind the assassination of Lord Louis Mountbatten. The Irish Army was then fighting to drive the British Army out of Northern Ireland. The Irish Army was blamed for the assassination because they were attacked by snipers in 1978 but narrowly escaped. However, even after the attack, his security was not increased. Most importantly, his security was removed just a few days before the murder.

Role of CIA and British Intelligence?

The curtain has not been lifted from Mountbatten's assassination even after several decades. Even today, many questions remain unanswered after his assassination. For example, why was the security of a member of the British Royal Family not increased after the attack? Why was his security removed? The British intelligence and the American intelligence services CIA were suspected of being involved in the assassination, but no charges or secrets were ever revealed. In fact, in March 1979, the Irish National Liberation Army assassinated Northern Ireland's Shadow Secretary Airey Nieve. It was then warned that a plot was being hatched to assassinate a member of the royal family. After this, Mountbatten was advised not to go to Northern Ireland that year, which he ignored. Mountbatten's ship 'Shadow V' was often subjected to security checks and surveillance. However, security was withdrawn just days before his death. According to an article published in BBC History, an Irish prisoner named Patrick Holland claimed that he was told in prison by a prisoner named McMahon that Mountbatten was assassinated by British intelligence. Holland was preparing to write a book on the Mountbatten assassination, but one day he was found dead. It is also believed that the American agency CIA was behind the assassination of Mountbatten. Also read: BJP stopped Kangana Ranaut from making statements: These statements of Mandi MP are very controversial