The invitation for G20 dinner in the name of the ‘President of Bharat’ rather than India, has sparked a major dust-up between the ruling BJP and the Opposition that recently named its broad alliance as I.N.D.I.A.
“In the Constitution, both India and ‘Bharat’ are there. For 75 years if the President of India was written then what’s the objection in writing President of ‘Bharat’? We don’t say ‘India Mata ki Jai’ but ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’…The name India was given by the Britishers. RJD and JDU have an objection with the name Bharat then they use the name India…” Rajya Sabha MP and BJP leader Sushil Modi said Tuesday.
#WATCH BJP MP Harnath Singh Yadav says “The entire country is demanding that we should use the word ‘Bharat’ instead of ‘India’…The word ‘India’ is an abuse given to us by the British whereas the word ‘Bharat’ is a symbol of our culture…I want there should be a change in… pic.twitter.com/TkOl3Ieuer
— ANI (@ANI) September 5, 2023
After the initial exception expressed by Jairam Ramesh, Congress leader Mani Shankar Iyer too jumped in the fray. “They are scared of the INDIA alliance. Our Constitution says India, that is Bharat,” Iyer said.