‘Bharat’ instead of ‘India’ in President invite stirs debate on country’s name

Opposition parties accuse PM Modi of 'divide' politics after President Murmu's invitation to G20 Summit replaces 'India' with 'Bharat'. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh calls it a 'distortion of history' while BJP leaders hail the move. Govt sources deny any formal action to change the name of India. BJP MP Harnath Singh Yadav wants 'Bharat' to be added to Constitution.

Invitations sent by President Draupadi Murmu to heads of state, government and Chief Ministers of Indian States for an official banquet on the occasion of the G20 Summit being held in New Delhi created a flutter as the word “India” was replaced with “Bharat”.

Instead of the usual, “President of the Republic of India” the word “Bharat” was substituted, creating ripples of speculation among political parties, especially the Opposition INDIA alliance. Opposition leaders alleged that the shift to using the name “Bharat” instead of India in English language communication, was a way of preventing the alliance from being identified with the country’s name or could even be a signal from the government that the special session of Parliament to be held between September 18-22 would be about some change in name.

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Although taking a nuanced position, the Congress accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of resorting to a politics of “divide”. “Mr. Modi can continue to distort history and divide India, that is Bharat, that is a Union of States. But we will not be deterred,” Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said in a post on X.

“After all, what is the objective of INDIA parties? It is BHARAT—Bring Harmony, Amity, Reconciliation And Trust Judega BHARAT, Jeetega INDIA!”Mr Ramesh added.

Congress Deputy Leader in Lok Sabha Gaurav said, “We accept both ‘India’ and ‘Bharat’ names and feel proud on them. The ‘I’ in ISRO is India, the ‘I’ in IITs is India, the ‘I’ in IIMs is India, the ‘I’ in IPS is India. The BJP’s politics has stooped so low because they are afraid of the INDIA alliance”.

BJP leaders hailed the change in nomenclature in official communication. Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma was one of the first to react, posting on “X” : “REPUBLIC OF BHARAT – happy and proud that our civilisation is marching ahead boldly towards AMRIT KAAL.”