Controversy erupts as G20 invitations address 'President of Bharat'; Opposition takes on BJP
G20 Summit in Delhi: G20 dinner official invitations in the name 'President of Bharat' instead of the usual 'President of India' sparked controversy, raised eyebrows and ignited a public debate among political parties ahead of the G20 Summit in Delhi which is scheduled to take place for September 9th and 10th, 2023 and will be joined by representatives of member nations as well as guest nations.
Lashing out at Centre, opposition parties opposed the use of 'President of Bharat' term on the official G20 dinner invitations.
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Congress leader Jairam Ramesh accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of “distorting history and dividing India” and said the objective of parties in the INDIA bloc is also "BHARAT - Bring Harmony, Amity, Reconciliation"
#WATCH | On Congress leader Jairam Ramesh's claim that invitations to a G20 Summit dinner at Rashtrapati Bhawan sent in the name of ‘President of Bharat’, Congress MP Pramod Tiwari says, "...PM Modi had given names like 'Make in India', 'Skill India', 'Khelo India'...They (BJP)… pic.twitter.com/OuUoLw4DxH — ANI (@ANI) September 5, 2023
“So the news is indeed true. Rashtrapati Bhawan has sent out an invite for a G20 dinner on Sept 9th 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,” Ramesh said on ‘X’, formerly known as Twitter.
Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party’s Raghav Chadha also opposed that “How can the BJP strike down 'INDIA.” He took to his ‘X’ handle (former Twitter) and wrote, “The BJP's recent move to change the reference from 'President of India' to 'President of Bharat' on official G20 summit invitations has raised eyebrows and ignited a public debate. How can the BJP strike down 'INDIA'? The country doesn't belong to a political party; it belongs to 135 crore Indians. Our national identity is not the BJP's personal property that it can modify on whims and fancies. Judega Bharat Jeetega INDIA.”
The BJP's recent move to change the reference from 'President of India' to 'President of Bharat' on official G20 summit invitations has raised eyebrows and ignited a public debate. How can the BJP strike down 'INDIA'? The country doesn't belong to a political party; it belongs to… pic.twitter.com/riYNdQBkYa — Raghav Chadha (@raghav_chadha) September 5, 2023
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor took a dig at the Modi government over G20 dinner invitations and said that the government will not be so foolish as to completely dispense with “India”
While there is no constitutional objection to calling India “Bharat”, which is one of the country’s two official names, I hope the government will not be so foolish as to completely dispense with “India”, which has incalculable brand value built up over centuries. We should… pic.twitter.com/V6ucaIfWqj — Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) September 5, 2023
Alleging that the invitation for the G20 dinner sent out in the name of 'President of Bharat' came against the backdrop of a united opposition bloc, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Tuesday said that INDIA will chase BJP out of power in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections.
The G20 Heads of State and Government Summit in New Delhi will be a culmination of all the G20 processes and meetings held throughout the year among ministers, senior officials, and civil societies. A G20 Leaders’ Declaration will be adopted at the conclusion of the New Delhi Summit, stating Leaders’ commitment towards the priorities discussed and agreed upon during the respective ministerial and working group meetings.
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The Group of Twenty (G20) comprises 19 countries and the European Union. The 19 countries are - Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States. The invited countries are Bangladesh, Egypt, Mauritius, Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Singapore, Spain and UAE.
- With inputs from agencies
