‘Prime Minister of Bharat’: Sambit Patra shares invitation of PM Modi's Indonesia visit amid India's name change rumour
special session of Parliament beginning September 18. Opposition leaders, including Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh, who first highlighted the development, accused the government of assaulting the idea of the country being a "Union of States", as mentioned in the Constitution which describes the country as "India, that is Bharat".
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said, "So the news is indeed true. Rashtrapati Bhawan has sent out an invite for a G20 dinner on 9 September 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." The row came four days after Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat made a strong pitch for using Bharat instead of India.
Addressing an event in Guwahati on 1 September, Bhagwat said the country’s name as Bharat has continued since ancient times and must be taken forward. “The name of our country has been Bharat for ages.
Whatever may be the language, the name remains the same," the RSS chief said. (With PTI inputs)
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