The British, already alarmed by the advance of the Japanese army to the India/ Burma border, responded the next day by imprisoning Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and other leaders of the Congress party. They also banned the party altogether. These actions only created sympathy for the cause among the population. Large scale protests and demonstrations were held all over the country. Workers remained absent en masse and strikes were called. However, not all the demonstrations were peaceful. Bombs exploded, government buildings were set on fire, electricity was cut and transport and communication lines were severed.

The British responded with mass detentions. A total of 90,000 arrests were made nationwide, mass fines were levied, bombs were dropped and demonstrators were subjected to public flogging. Scores of innocent people were killed by police fire. Many national leaders went underground and continued their struggle by broadcasting messages over clandestine radio stations, distributing pamphlets and establishing parallel governments.