INDIA to be renamed BHARAT? Presidential invite for G20 dinner sparks row Congress reacts
05-Sep-2023
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The term "President of Bharat" has been used for the first time in an official invite to heads of state attending the weekend G20 summit, replacing the traditional "President of India". This marks a significant shift in nomenclature on the international stage as the country hosts the mega event. President Draupadi Murmu's invite to G20 foreign leaders and Chief Ministers for a dinner on September 9, says: "President of Bharat" instead of "President of India". Officials say this is the first change of India's nomenclature for any official event.The term "Bharat" is also in the Constitution, officials point out. "India, that is Bharat, shall be a Union of States," it says in Article 1 of the Constitution. Bharat" has also been used in a G20 booklet handed to foreign delegates, titled "Bharat, The Mother Of Democracy", to highlight, in India's G20 presidency, its rich democratic ethos for thousands of years. in Bharat that is India, taking the consent of the people in governance has been part of life since earliest recorded history," are the opening words of the booklet. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma was among the first to cheer the big change. "REPUBLIC OF BHARAT - happy and proud that our civilisation is marching ahead boldly towards AMRIT KAAL," he posted on X, formerly Twitter. While BJP leaders welcomed the move, the presidential invite drew a sharp response from the opposition. The BJP's recent move to change the reference from 'President of India' to 'President of Bharat' on official G20 summit invitations has raised eyebrows and ignited a public debate. How can the BJP strike down 'INDIA'? The country doesn't belong to a political party; it belongs to 135 crore Indians. Our national identity is not the BJP's personal property that it can modify on whims and fancies," posted Raghav Chadha, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader. Congress leaders also targeted the BJP.
