The Congress has accused the BJP authorities of “distorting historical past and dividing India”.
New Delhi:
Using ‘President of Bharat’ instead of the normal ‘President of India’ in an official invite to international leaders attending the G20 summit has sparked a flurry of political reactions. Whereas opposition leaders have slammed the transfer and linked it to their 28-party alliance naming itself INDIA, the BJP has questioned why some events “object to each concern associated to the honour and pleasure of the nation”.
One of many sharpest reactions to the wording used within the invite got here from AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal who requested whether or not the ruling get together would change the nation’s title to ‘BJP’ if the opposition alliance determined to name itself ‘Bharat’.
Addressing a press convention on Tuesday, the Delhi chief minister mentioned in Hindi, “I’ve no official data that this (a reputation change) is occurring. Simply because many opposition events have shaped an alliance and referred to as it INDIA, will the Centre change the title of the nation? The nation belongs to 140 crore folks, to not one get together. If the title of the alliance is modified to Bharat, will they modify the title of Bharat to BJP?”
Mr Kejriwal’s get together colleague and Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha additionally hit out on the BJP and mentioned that the nation doesn’t belong to at least one political get together.
“The BJP’s latest transfer to vary the reference from ‘President of India’ to ‘President of Bharat’ on official G20 summit invites has raised eyebrows and ignited a public debate. How can the BJP strike down ‘INDIA’? The nation does not belong to a political get together; it belongs to 135 crore Indians. Our nationwide id isn’t the BJP’s private property that it may modify on whims and fancies.Judega Bharat. Jeetega INDIA,” Mr Chadha posted on X, previously Twitter.
The BJP’s latest transfer to vary the reference from ‘President of India’ to ‘President of Bharat’ on official G20 summit invites has raised eyebrows and ignited a public debate. How can the BJP strike down ‘INDIA’? The nation does not belong to a political get together; it belongs to… pic.twitter.com/riYNdQBkYa
— Raghav Chadha (@raghav_chadha) September 5, 2023
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee mentioned the entire world is aware of the nation as India and puzzled whether or not the title of Rabindranath Tagore could be modified subsequent.
“I’ve heard that they’re altering the title of India. The invitations within the title of the President say Bharat. What’s new on this? We are saying India in English and Bharat in Hindi. Even we are saying Bharat. However the world is aware of the nation as India. What occurred abruptly that the nation’s title can be modified? Will the title of kabi thakur (Rabindranath Tagore) even be modified,” she requested.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam President MK Stalin mentioned the BJP promised to remodel India, however all that the nation bought was a reputation change after 9 years.
After Non-BJP forces united to dethrone the fascist BJP regime and aptly named their alliance #INDIA, now the BJP desires to vary ‘India’ for ‘Bharat.’
BJP promised to TRANSFORM India, however all we bought is a reputation change after 9 years!
Looks as if the BJP is rattled by a single time period…
— M.Okay.Stalin (@mkstalin) September 5, 2023
“After Non-BJP forces united to dethrone the fascist BJP regime and aptly named their alliance #INDIA, now the BJP desires to vary ‘India’ for ‘Bharat.’ BJP promised to TRANSFORM India, however all we bought is a reputation change after 9 years! Looks as if the BJP is rattled by a single time period referred to as India as a result of they recognise the power of unity throughout the opposition. Through the elections, ‘India’ will chase BJP out of energy,” the DMK chief posted on X.
Addressing a press convention in Maharashtra’s Jalgaon district, Nationalist Congress Social gathering chief Sharad Pawar mentioned no one has the right to vary the nation’s title.
“I do not perceive why the ruling get together is perturbed over a reputation associated to the nation,” the NCP chief mentioned, including that Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has referred to as a gathering of INDIA alliance get together heads on Wednesday.
“There can be deliberation on this within the assembly, however nobody has the precise to vary the title (of the nation). Nobody can change the title,” information company PTI quoted Mr Pawar as saying.
Claiming that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is afraid of the INDIA alliance, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister and RJD chief Tejashwi Yadav mentioned that India is in every single place from the nation’s Structure to its passport.
“PM Modi is afraid of the INDIA alliance. Now we have the President of India, Prime Minister of India. The title is on the passport and Aadhaar playing cards. The Structure says ‘We, the folks of India’ and ‘Bharat’ in Hindi. If he has an issue with the INDIA title, he ought to have an issue with Bharat as properly. As a result of our slogan is ‘Judega Bharat, Jeetega INDIA,” Mr Yadav mentioned.
“Until just a few days in the past, they stored saying ‘Vote for India’. Now they wish to disguise the India title and write Bharat. However there is no such thing as a distinction between India and Bharat. One is in English and one is in Hindi. So these choices are being taken as a result of they’re nervous. What number of locations will you take away the title from? How a lot will you spend? Getting the title modified could price as a lot as a state’s price range. What is going to occur to Make in India and Talent India,” he requested.
The transfer additionally invited scathing criticism from the Congress, which accused the Narendra Modi authorities of “distorting historical past and dividing India”.
In a submit on X, Congress Basic Secretary and former Union Minister Jairam Ramesh mentioned, “So the information is certainly true. Rashtrapati Bhawan has despatched out an invitation for a G20 dinner on Sept ninth within the title of ‘President of Bharat’ as a substitute of the same old ‘President of India’. Now, Article 1 within the Structure can learn: ‘Bharat, that was India, shall be a Union of States.’ However now even this “Union of States” is underneath assault.”
Mr. Modi can proceed to distort historical past and divide India, that’s Bharat, that may be a Union of States. However we is not going to be deterred.
In spite of everything, what’s the goal of INDIA events?
It’s BHARAT—Convey Concord, Amity, Reconciliation And Belief.
Judega BHARAT
Jeetega INDIA! https://t.co/L0gsXUEEEK— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) September 5, 2023
He added, “Mr. Modi can proceed to distort historical past and divide India, that’s Bharat, that may be a Union of States. However we is not going to be deterred. In spite of everything, what’s the goal of INDIA events? It’s BHARAT-Convey Concord, Amity, Reconciliation And Belief. Judega BHARAT. Jeetega INDIA!”
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor mentioned he hoped the federal government wouldn’t be “silly” sufficient to dispense with the title ‘India’, which has a model worth constructed over centuries
“Whereas there is no such thing as a constitutional objection to calling India ‘Bharat’, which is among the nation’s two official names, I hope the federal government is not going to be so silly as to fully dispense with “India”, which has incalculable model worth constructed up over centuries. We must always proceed to make use of each phrases reasonably than relinquish our declare to a reputation redolent of historical past, a reputation that’s recognised world wide,” he mentioned on X.
BJP leaders and ministers, nevertheless, welcomed the usage of the phrase Bharat and accused the Congress of being anti-national and anti-constitutional.
One of many first reactions was from Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who mentioned the wording of the invite made him proud. “REPUBLIC OF BHARAT – completely happy and proud that our civilisation is marching forward boldly in direction of AMRIT KAAL,” Mr Sarma mentioned on X.
REPUBLIC OF BHARAT – completely happy and proud that our civilisation is marching forward boldly in direction of AMRIT KAAL
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) September 5, 2023
In a stinging response to the assertion by Congress leaders, BJP President JP Nadda mentioned the opposition get together has no respect for the nation or the Structure.
कांग्रेस को देश के सम्मान एवं गौरव से जुड़े हर विषय से इतनी आपत्ति क्यों है?
भारत जोड़ो के नाम पर राजनीतिक यात्रा करने वालों को “भारत माता की जय” के उद्घोष से नफरत क्यों है?
स्पष्ट है कि कांग्रेस के मन में न देश के प्रति सम्मान है, न देश के संविधान के प्रति और न ही संवैधानिक…
— Jagat Prakash Nadda (@JPNadda) September 5, 2023
“Why does the Congress object a lot to each concern associated to the honour and pleasure of the nation? Why does a celebration that took out a political yatra within the title of Bharat Jodo hate the proclamation of Bharat Mata Ki Jai? It’s clear that the Congress has no respect for the nation, Structure, or constitutional establishments. All it cares about is the reward of 1 explicit household. The entire nation is aware of the anti-national and anti-constitutional intentions of the Congress very properly,” the BJP chief mentioned in Hindi.
Talking to information company ANI, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan mentioned the choice to make use of ‘Bharat’ is a giant assertion in opposition to the colonial mindset.
“This could have occurred earlier. It provides me nice satisfaction. ‘Bharat’ is our introduction and we’re happy with it. The President has given precedence to ‘Bharat’. I’m sure the nation can be very completely happy on studying of this. This can be a massive assertion in opposition to the colonial mindset,” he mentioned.
A one-line submit by megastar Amitabh Bachchan was additionally linked by social media users to the political row over the G20 invite.
T 4759 – 🇮🇳 भारत माता की जय 🚩
— Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) September 5, 2023
“Bharat Mata Ki Jai (victory to Mom India),” the actor posted on X.