Amidst the controversy surrounding the use of ‘Bharat’ (India) instead of ‘India,’ Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma expressed his pride in the country’s rich civilization advancing boldly towards “Amrit Kaal” (a golden era).
Taking to the social media platform, Sarma stated, “Republic of Bharat – happy and proud that our civilization is marching ahead boldly towards Amrit Kaal.”
The controversy emerged after Congress leader Jairam Ramesh claimed that Rashtrapati Bhawan (the official residence of the President of India) had issued invitations for a G20 dinner on September 9, addressing the event to the ‘President of Bharat’ instead of the customary ‘President of India.’
Ramesh accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of “distorting history and dividing India.” He highlighted the objective of the parties in the INDIA bloc, which is “BHARAT – Bring Harmony, Amity, Reconciliation.”
He added, “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 emphasized that despite such controversies, the objective of INDIA parties remains focused on BHARAT, representing harmony, amity, reconciliation, and trust.
Additionally, BJP Rajya Sabha MP Harnath Singh Yadav supported the use of ‘Bharat’ and argued that the term ‘India’ was a British-imposed name. He called for a change in the Constitution to officially incorporate the term ‘Bharat’ to reflect the nation’s culture and heritage.
