Prez of Bharat vs Prez of India: G20 dinner invite sparks row

New Delhi: A fresh row has sparked between the BJP government and the INDIA bloc after the Rashtrapati Bhawan (President House) sent out invites for a G20 summit dinner scheduled for September 9, in the name of ‘President of Bharat’ instead of ‘President of India’,

The Congress attacked the Centre saying that now even the ‘Union of States’ is under assault. The party targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying that he can continue to “distort history and divide India, that is Bharat, that is a Union of States”, but they “will not be deterred”.

In a post on X, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh said, “So the news is indeed true. Rashtrapati Bhawan has sent out an invite for a G20 dinner on September 9 in the name of ‘President of Bharat’ instead of the usual ‘President of India’.

“Now, Article 1 in the Constitution can read: ‘Bharat, that was India, shall be a Union of States’. But now even this ‘Union of States’ is under assault.”

In another tweet, Ramesh said, “Modi can continue to distort history and divide India, that is Bharat, that is a Union of States. But we will not be deterred”.

“After all, what is the objective of INDIA parties? It is BHARAT—Bring Harmony, Amity, Reconciliation And Trust. Judega BHARAT, Jeetega INDIA”, he further said.

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Modi-led government, which has been emphasising liberating the people of the country from the “slavery mentality” and any elements related to such a psyche during the ongoing “Amrit Kaal”, is reportedly planning to remove the word “India” from the Constitution, sources in the know of things claimed, adding that a preparation pertaining to the proposal is underway.

The sources said that at the upcoming special session of parliament scheduled to be held from September 18-22, the government is likely to present bills related to the ‘India’ word omission proposal.

Congress MP Pramod Tiwari slammed the Modi government and asked, “PM Modi had given names like 'Make in India', 'Skill India', 'Khelo India'...They (BJP) are scared of the word 'India', Article 1 of the Constitution says 'India, that is Bharat'...How can this name (India) be removed...?”

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said, “While there is no constitutional objection to calling India “Bharat", which is one of the country’s two official names, I hope the government will not be so foolish as to completely dispense with “India", which has incalculable brand value built up over centuries. We should continue to use both words rather than relinquish our claim to a name redolent of history, a name that is recognised around the world."

Earlier this month, Mohan Bhagwat said that people should use the name "Bharat" instead of India, and urged people to inculcate the habit.

BJP Rajya Sabha MP Naresh Bansal also pitched the proposal during the recently concluded monsoon session in the Upper House, saying that the name 'India' is a symbol of "colonial slavery" and "should be removed from the Constitution".

Also Read: Manipur lies ‘forgotten’ by G20-obsessed Centre: Congress