Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has said that attempts to change the name of the country from India to Bharat are “not required” as the word India has been accepted. He pointed out that “India” is incorporated in the Constitution of India.
Mr. Siddaramaiah was reacting to controversy that has erupted after a G-20 dinner invite went out in the name of ‘President of Bharat’.
When his reaction was sought, the Chief Minister said, “In our Constitution, India is incorporated and it is called the ‘Constitution of India’. India is an accepted word for our country. Making it Bharat... I don’t think it is required.”
‘Fear of INDIA alliance’
Deputy Chief Minister and KPCC president D.K. Shivakumar, meanwhile, described the idea of a name change as ‘politicking’ and stemming out of the BJP’s fear of the recently-formed INDIA alliance.
Speaking to reporters in Kanakapura, he said, “This is the Republic of India, our currency notes too say Reserve Bank of India... Just because we [various non-NDA parties] have called our alliance INDIA, they [BJP at the Centre] is unable to digest it and are planning to do this. It shows the fear they have about our emergence, how much they are affected, and that they are able to sense their defeat.” Various Ministers in the Siddaramaiah-led Cabinet expressed similar sentiments.
Meanwhile, several BJP leaders said that the name ‘Bharat’ evokes cultural pride and it should be welcomed. “Just as we say ‘Hindu rashtra’ with pride, the word ‘Bharat’ also fills us with pride and self-respect,” said former Minister V. Sunil Kumar.
