India to be Bharat? Govt May Bring Resolution to Rename Country in Special Session of Parliament

The Modi-led Central government is likely to bring a fresh resolution during the Special Session of Parliament to rename India as Bharat, mentioned sources.

The name change of India to Bharat is Bharatiya Janata Party’s long-standing demand. In December 2022, Mitesh Patel, BJP MP from Anand in Gujarat raised a question in the Lok Sabha about renaming India as “Bharat” or “Bharatvarsh” as deliberated by the Constituent Assembly in September 1949.

Patel claimed that “India” signifies the “slavery that the country was subjected to”, as the name was given by the British East India Company.

The Narendra Modi-led Central 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.

Congress on Tuesday hit back at the government after the Rashtrapati Bhawan (President House) sent out invites for a G20 dinner of September 9 in the name of President of Bharat instead of the usual President of India saying now even this “Union of States” is under assault.

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,” the Congress communication in-charge said

Defending the use of Bharat top BJP leader JP Nadda asked why does the Congress party have “so much objection to every subject related to the honor and pride of the country?”

“Why do political yatras in the name of Bharat Jodo hate the proclamation of ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai?’ It is clear that the Congress has neither respect for the country, nor for the constitution of the country, nor for the constitutional institutions. He just means to praise a particular family. The whole country knows very well the anti-national and anti-constitutional intentions of the Congress,” Nadda added in a post on social media site X.

 (With inputs from agencies)