New Delhi:

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor today took a swipe at the government over the India-Bharat naming row, saying the opposition bloc could call itself the “Alliance for Betterment, Harmony And Responsible Advancement for Tomorrow (BHARAT)” and then perhaps the ruling party might stop the “fatuous game of changing names”.

His remarks came after invitations for a G20 dinner sent out by President Droupadi Murmu, describing her position as ‘President of Bharat’ instead of the customary ‘President of India’, triggered a massive furore on Tuesday with the opposition alleging that the Modi government is planning to drop India and stay with just Bharat as the country’s name.

In a post on X, Mr Tharoor said, “We could of course call ourselves the Alliance for Betterment, Harmony And Responsible Advancement for Tomorrow (BHARAT). Then perhaps the ruling party might stop this fatuous game of changing names.” The Congress is a constituent of the opposition Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA).

We could of course call ourselves the Alliance for Betterment, Harmony And Responsible Advancement for Tomorrow (BHARAT).

Then perhaps the ruling party might stop this fatuous game of changing names.

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) September 6, 2023

On Tuesday, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh had on X said, “Mr. 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 (alliance) parties? It is BHARAT – Bring Harmony, Amity, Reconciliation And Trust. Judega BHARAT. Jeetega INDIA!”

Mr Tharoor on Tuesday had said while there is no constitutional objection to calling India ‘Bharat’, he hopes the government will not be so “foolish” to completely dispense with ‘India’ which has “incalculable brand value”.

The Congress MP had also claimed it was Pakistan’s founder Mohammad Ali Jinnah who had objected to the name ‘India’ since it implied that “our country was the successor state to the British Raj and Pakistan a seceding state”.
 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Jalgaon, Maharashtra:

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar today said no one has the right to change the country’s name, after the Congress claimed that a G20 dinner invite refers to the President as “President of Bharat”.

Sharad Pawar said there will be deliberation on the issue in a meeting convened on Wednesday by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge with chiefs of the parties which are part of the INDIA alliance, an opposition bloc of 28 parties aiming to take on the BJP-led Centre in next year’s general elections.

“I don’t understand why the ruling party is perturbed over a name related to the country,” the NCP chief told reporters at a press conference in Maharashtra’s Jalgaon district.

Asked whether the name of India will be changed in the Constitution, Sharad Pawar said, “I don’t have any information on it.”

Mr Pawar said Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has called a meeting of all party heads of the INDIA alliance on Wednesday.

“There will be deliberation on this in the meeting, but no one has the right to change the name (of the country). No one can change the name,” the NCP chief said.

The Congress on Tuesday alleged that the “Union of States” is under assault by the Modi government as it claimed that a G20 dinner invite refers to the President as “President of Bharat”.

The G20 Summit will be held in New Delhi from September 9 to 10 under India’s presidency and several heads of state from across the world, including US President Joe Biden, are attending the event.
 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)