Government Confirms: No Plans For India To Change Its Name To Bharat; Current President And Prime Minister Officially In Office

Controversy brews over 'Bharat' name change as government defends using both names, amid constitutional discussions and opposition criticism.

Written by: Namrata Sawal

Edited by: Krutarth Ghosalkar

Last Updated: September 06, 2023

Summary: Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur suggests that objections to the name “Bharat” reflect a particular mindset.

Just two weeks ahead of a special parliamentary session, the government stirred a political controversy on Tuesday regarding the country’s name. This dispute on Tuesday regarding the country’s name. This dispute arose when the government issued a G20 Summit dinner invitation in the name of the “President of Bharat” instead of the “President of India’, while the agenda for the session remains undisclosed.

Amidst criticism from the Opposition directed at the ruling BJP, a government booklet recounting the Prime Minister’s participation in the 20th ASEAN-India Summit and the 18th East Asia Summit in Indonesia labeled Narendra Modi as the “Prime Minister of Bharat”. This reference was highlighted in a tweet by BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra, who also used the term “Prime Minister of Bharat”.

Dismissing the widespread speculations, particularly within the Opposition, that the special parliamentary session aimed to initiate a name change from India to Bharat, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur emphasized in a media outlet, “I consider these claims mere rumors. What I wish to convey is that anyone opposing the term Bharat is evidently revealing their mindset.”

BJP leader and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma shared a social media post stating, "Republic of Bharat - delighted and proud to witness our civilization's confident journey towards Amrit Kaal," and in his interactions with reporters, he questioned the necessity of an English name for the nation.

Sarma, addressing reporters, emphasized, "Our Constitution explicitly states: India, that is Bharat. The name Bharat has been in continuous use for millennia. There is no requirement to assign a new name to Bharat. Our nation has been known as Bharat, is still Bharat, and will always be Bharat."

Prime Minister Modi has frequently highlighted India's rich historical heritage, emphasizing the importance of shedding its colonial legacy and reasserting and reconnecting with its deep-rooted culture and heritage.