Prime Minister Narendra Modi was identified as the leader representing ‘Bharat’ at the G-20 Summit in New Delhi on September 9 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 G-20 documents. Official sources have said it is a conscious decision.
Track G-20 Summit 2023 in New Delhi Live Updates here
The name card in front of Mr. Modi as he addressed the gathering at the Bharat Mandapam, the venue of the Summit, said ‘Bharat’.
A dinner invite has been sent to G-20 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’ is 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.
