New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi was identified as the leader representing 'Bharat' at the G20 Summit here on Saturday as he made his opening remarks at the beginning of the two-day meeting.
The government has used 'Bharat', a name used in the Constitution for the country along with India, in several official G20 documents. Official sources have said it is a conscious decision. The name card in front of Modi as he addressed the gathering at the Bharat Mandapam, the venue of the Summit, said 'Bharat'.
The country tag in front of Modi read 'Bharat' as he welcomed the world leaders and expressed grief over the Morocco earthquake in his inaugural address to the G20 Summit. Earlier, a controversy erupted after the invite for the G20 dinner from the Rashtrapati Bhawan read 'President of Bharat' instead of 'President of India' adding fuel to the speculations that the Centre might change the official state title from India to Bharat.
The Opposition has targeted the government, saying it is an attempt to change the name since their coalition name reads INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance).On Friday, while addressing a Press conference in Belgium's Brussels, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi spoke on the name change row dubbing it a “distraction tactic” and said that these are panic reactions, there is a little bit of fear in government and it actually disturbs Prime Minister Narendra Modi very much that he wants to change the name of the country which is 'absurd.'
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A dinner invite has been sent to G20 delegates and other guests from 'President of Bharat', a move which ignited a political row with opposition parties claiming the government is trying to drop 'India' from the country's name. They also linked the move to their decision to name their alliance INDIA.
The ruling BJP has cheered the use of Bharat, citing the ancient Hindi name's cultural roots. Some leaders claimed the English name 'India' was a colonial legacy.
The party has, however, largely avoided getting into the 'Bharat vs India' debate with its leaders noting that the Constitution uses both names for the country. Earlier, speaking at the summit, PM Modi said, "Today, as the president of G 20, India calls upon the world together to transform the global trust deficit into one of trust and reliance. This is the time for all of us to move together. In this time, the mantra of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas' can be the torch bearer for us. Be it the divide between North and South, the distance between East and West, management of food and fuel, terrorism, cyber security, health, energy or water security, we will have to find a solid solution to this for future generations." (Agencies)