India vs Bharat row: ‘Will you not say Startup India from now?’, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury asks Centre

Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Tuesday slammed the BJP-led central government over India’s name change rumors. He called it the first step toward changing the Constitution of the country. This came amid the speculation that the Cente is planning to bring a proposal to rename the country from India to ‘Bharat’. 

Speaking to ANI, the Congress leader said, “BJP is scared of the word India since the Opposition bloc – Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance was formed. The government should immediately abandon the President’s House if they have a problem with British rule.”

“Why did you not say ‘Mahamahim of Bharat’; why did you write ‘President of Bharat’? Since the INDIA bloc has been formed, PM’s hate towards ‘INDIA’ has increased. If the BJP has so much of a problem with the British rule, they should immediately abandon the Rashtrapati Bhavan because this was the viceroy house earlier,” Adhir Ranja said. 

“Will you not say Khelo India, Start-up India, and Make in India from now? We do not have any problem with the word ‘Bharat’. I just want to suggest that they should change the word Hindu first because it was also given by foreigners and the word India was derived from it. Don’t try to be revolutionary,” he told ANI. 

A political row has erupted in India after a G20 dinner invite was sent out in the name of the ‘President of Bharat’ instead of the usual ‘President of India’, triggering a controversy that a name change for India is on the cards ahead of the special session of Parliament.

However, Union Minister Anurag Thakur has clarified that these are just “rumors”. “I think these are just rumors that are taking place. All I want to say is that anyone who objects to the word Bharat clearly shows the mindset.”

The Opposition faction ‘INDIA alliance’ got into a huddle and attacked the government, a government booklet on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Indonesia for the 20th ASEAN-India Summit referred to him as ‘Prime Minister of Bharat’.

(With ANI inputs)

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Updated: 06 Sep 2023, 10:38 AM IST