New Delhi: Amid the speculation about the Indian government’s intention to rename India as ‘Bharat’, Union Minister Anurag Thakur dismissed these claims and clarified that these are mere “rumours.”. The G20 dinner invite was sent out in the name of ‘President of Bharat’ instead of the usual ‘President of India’, which has led to a political controversy, raising questions about a possible name change before a special session of Parliament.
The opposition, united under the alliance “INDIA” to defeat the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the upcoming Lok Sabha election, has strongly criticized the government, a government booklet on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Indonesia for the 20th ASEAN-India Summit referred to him as ‘Prime Minister of Bharat’.
Amidst this allegation, Union Minister Anurag Thakur clarified to the media that these reports are nothing more than rumours. He emphasized that these rumours “clearly show their mindset” towards the name “Bharat” and how some individuals are against ‘Bharat’. Thakur stated, “I think these are just unfounded rumours which are taking place. What I want to highlight is that those who object to the term ‘Bharat’ are displaying their mindset.”
On the G20 dinner invitation addressing the “President of Bharat,” Thakur said, “They wrote ‘Bharat ke Rashtrapati’ [the President of Bharat]…toh unhone likh diya [so they she wrote] so what? It’s not a big deal. In the past, invitations have also been sent out in the name of ‘Bharat Sarkar’ [Government of Bharat]. Where’s the problem?”
“I am a minister of Bharat Sarkar, many news channels also have Bharat in their name. Why should anyone object to Bharat, who are these people who are allergic to the name Bharat? Who is opposing the name Bharat? Now have you even started feeling the pain at the mention of Bharat? These are the same people who put party before the nation and are stuck in the quicksand of politics. They also have attempted to malign the country from foreign soil,” Anurag Thakur countered the Opposition.
Thakur further questioned the objections to the term “Bharat,” stating, “I am a minister of ‘Bharat Sarkar,’ and many news channels also include ‘Bharat’ in their names. Why would anyone oppose ‘Bharat’? Who are these people who are allergic to the name ‘Bharat’? Are you now uncomfortable even hearing the word ‘Bharat’? These are the same people who prioritize their political party over the nation and are stuck in the quicksand of politics. They have also attempted to tarnish the country’s image from foreign soil,” he countered the opposition’s stance.