The name plate of Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his opening remark at the 18th G20 Summit in Delhi has…
The name plate of Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his opening remark at the 18th G20 Summit in Delhi has added more fuel to the country’s name change fire. The name plate read BHARAT and not India as has been the tradition. This is the first instance when Bharat is written in the name plate of PM Modi at an international event.
This comes days after a major name change controversy over President Droupadi Murmu’s official dinner invitation sent to G20 leaders. The invitation addressed her as “President of Bharat” instead of the traditional “President of India”. A note on PM Modi’s Indonesia visit to attend the ASEAN-India summit also used the term Prime Minister of Bharat.
The Opposition claimed that the government has called the special session of parliament to effect the name change. Leaders of several Opposition parties said that the name of the country is being changed to Bharat because they named their alliance INDIA.
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As many as 28 Opposition parties have come together to take on the BJP-led NDA in the Lok Sabha Elections 2024. They have formed an alliance INDIA – an acronym for the Indian National Democratic Inclusive Alliance.
The government, however, played down the name change controversy and said that the name Bharat is already written in the Constitution of the country. “India, that is Bharat, shall be a union of states,” is written in the Article 1 of the Constitution and those objecting to Bharat should read it,” Union External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said.
The Opposition Congress, however, said that they don’t have any objection with the name Bharat and but they raised the issue because one of the BJP leaders said India should be removed and Bharat should be made the official name of the country. PM Modi has also asked his Council of Ministers to avoid giving unnecessary statements on the India-Bharat row.
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