'Prime Minister of Bharat' now adds fuel to the name-change fire

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• Sep 6, 2023 | Dhupali Das

Now, a note on Narendra Modi's visit to Indonesia refers to him as the 'Prime Minister of Bharat'...

Digital Desk: A dinner invitation extended to G20 leaders by President Droupadi Murmu stirred heated debate and raised speculation on Tuesday when she used the term 'President of Bharat' instead of the traditional 'President of India.' This move has now been followed by another document coming to light that refers to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the 'Prime Minister of Bharat.'

The document in question pertains to Prime Minister Modi's upcoming visit to Indonesia on Wednesday and Thursday, where he will attend the 20th ASEAN-India Summit and the 18th East Asia Summit. The usage of 'Prime Minister of Bharat' in this context was brought to the public's attention when it was posted on X (formerly Twitter) by BJP National Spokesperson Sambit Patra. This revelation quickly ignited a war of words between the BJP and the Congress.

The Congress party was swift to respond, highlighting the usage of both 'ASEAN-India Summit' and 'Prime Minister of Bharat' in the same document. Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh took to social media to express his views, stating, "Look at how confused the Modi government is! The Prime Minister of Bharat at the 20th ASEAN-India summit. All this drama just because the Opposition got together and called itself I.N.D.I.A."

The initial dinner invitation from President Murmu had already sparked discussions about the possible renaming of the country, fueling speculation that such a move could be on the agenda during the special session of Parliament scheduled from September 18 to 22. Notably, the government has yet to announce the specific agenda for this session, adding to the intrigue.

Opposition parties have connected this potential name change to their 28-party alliance, which collectively refers to itself as 'I.N.D.I.A.' Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal questioned the government's response if the alliance decided to rename itself 'Bharat,' saying, "Just because many opposition parties have formed an alliance and called it I.N.D.I.A, will the Centre change the name of the country? The country belongs to 140 crore people, not to one party. If the name of the alliance is changed to Bharat, will they change the name of Bharat to BJP."

In contrast, several BJP leaders have welcomed the use of 'Bharat.' Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma took to Twitter to express his happiness, posting, "REPUBLIC OF BHARAT - happy and proud that our civilization is marching ahead boldly towards AMRIT KAAL."

Meanwhile, BJP President JP Nadda accused the Congress of objecting to any matter "related to the honor and pride of the country."

The ongoing debate surrounding the use of 'Bharat' instead of 'India' continues to divide opinions, with political parties and leaders expressing their stances on this linguistic and symbolic shift, further fueling discussions about the country's identity and nomenclature. As the nation watches, the special session of Parliament may bring clarity to these contentious matters in the coming weeks.