In a recent statement, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor criticized the government’s handling of the India-Bharat naming dispute. He suggested that the opposition bloc could adopt the name “Alliance for Betterment, Harmony, and Responsible Advancement for Tomorrow (BHARAT)” as a possible solution to end the ongoing debate over name changes.
Source: English Jagran
Tharoor’s comments followed a recent controversy when President Droupadi Murmu’s invitations for a G20 dinner referred to her as the ‘President of Bharat’ rather than the usual ‘President of India.’ This unexpected change sparked a significant uproar on Tuesday, with the opposition accusing the Modi government of potentially abandoning the name ‘India’ in favor of ‘Bharat’ for the nation.
In a social media post, Mr. Tharoor suggested, “We could name our coalition the Alliance for Betterment, Harmony, and Responsible Advancement for Tomorrow (BHARAT), which might encourage the ruling party to cease their frivolous name-changing antics.” It’s important to note that the Congress party is part of the opposition Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA).
Source: Pratidin Time
Last Tuesday, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh remarked, “Mr. Modi may persist in altering historical narratives and creating divisions within India, which is Bharat, a federation of states. Nevertheless, we will remain resolute. What is the goal of the INDIA alliance parties? It is BHARAT – signifying Bring Harmony, Amity, Reconciliation, And Trust. BHARAT will prevail, and INDIA will triumph!”
On Tuesday, Mr. Tharoor emphasized that there’s no constitutional barrier to referring to India as ‘Bharat,’ but he expressed the hope that the government would not make the “foolish” decision to entirely discard ‘India,’ which holds immense “brand value.” Furthermore, the Congress MP asserted that it was Pakistan’s founder, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, who initially raised objections to the name ‘India,’ as it implied that “our country was the successor state to the British Raj and Pakistan a seceding state.”
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