Reacting to the controversy over a G-20 dinner invite in the name of ‘President of Bharat’, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday questioned the need to “suddenly use only Bharat” while referring to India in official communiques.
“India is Bharat and Bharat is India,” the Trinamool Congress chairperson asserted. She said that there is now an attempt at changing the name of ‘India’ exclusively to ‘Bharat’.
“We all say Bharat, what is new in this. In English, we say India and the ‘Indian Constitution; in Hindi, we say ‘Bharat ka Samvidhan’. We all say ‘Bharat’, what is new in this. The world knows us as India. What happened suddenly that the name of the country needs to be changed?” the West Bengal Chief Minister said.
Ms. Banerjee alleged that not only names are being changed but “history is being rewritten in the country”.
The G-20 summit is being held in Delhi on September 9 and 10 under India’s Presidency and several heads of state from across the world, including U.S. President Joe Biden, are attending the event.
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan shared on X a G-20 dinner invitation from President Droupadi Murmu which described her position as “President of Bharat”.
Trinamool’s ally, the Congress party on Tuesday too attacked the Centre, accusing the PM Modi government of being “scared” of the Indian National Developmental Alliance, Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc and indulging in distraction from issues such as price rise and “rising joblessness”.
Ms. Banerjee also attacked Governor C.V. Ananda Bose, alleging that he was holding back Bills passed by the State Assembly.
The Trinamool is a key party in the INDIA coalition and Ms. Banerjee has participated in all the meetings of the Opposition bloc comprising of 26 political parties.
