The announcement of a special session of Parliament has led to field days among the opposition leaders. Every substantive or rumoured report that the Union government could bring one law or the other has caused panic and confusion among the newly formed opposition alliance. In an incoherent cacophony, the ambitiously divided group is united only on one issue, that is, their supposed unity has rattled the incumbent government.
According to the leaders of the I.N.D.I.A. bloc, all the bills that could be tabled in the special session have been drafted solely after taking their alliance into consideration. Evidently, the same is unfolding in regard to the rumoured reports that the Union government could start referring to India as Bharat in the special session of the Parliament.
Responding to these speculative reports, several leaders of the I.N.D.I.A. bloc have linked this yet-to-be-confirmed move with their alliance name.
Opposition leaders suffer a meltdown over speculative reports of the Centre replacing India with Bharat
Addressing media personnel, AAP National Convenor and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal claimed that changing the name of the country from India to Bharat would be a betrayal of the country. However, it is pertinent to note that in Article 1, the country’s name is clearly stated as India, that is, Bharat.
Delhi CM further claimed that the supposed move was being taken because the opposition parties decided to name their alliance I.N.D.I.A.
India का नाम बदलकर Bharat क्यों किया जा रहा हैं?
— AAP (@AamAadmiParty) September 5, 2023
कहा जा रहा है कि INDIA Alliance के नाम की वजह से। अगर कुछ पार्टियों का नाम India हो जाता है तो वो देश का नाम बदल देंगे? देश तो 140 करोड़ लोगों का है, कुछ पार्टियों को थोड़ी ना है।
मान लीजिए Alliance का नाम बदलकर कल Bharat हो गया,… pic.twitter.com/YK5NNSSg6F
Following the media reports, the Congress party came out in opposition to the supposed move and claimed that the government is feeling unease because of the opposition alliance and that is why it is moving in the direction of renaming the country as Bharat which they claimed is an impossible task to do.
मोदी जी को 'इंडिया' नाम से तकलीफ हो रही है, अब वे इसका नाम बदलकर 'भारत' कर रहे हैं।
— Congress (@INCIndia) September 5, 2023
आज पूरी दुनिया आपके ऊपर हंस रही है।
आप हमसे और हमारी विचारधारा से नफरत करते हैं, कोई दिक्कत नहीं है।
लेकिन इंडिया से नफरत मत कीजिए, भारतवासियों से नफरत मत कीजिए।
: @Pawankhera जी pic.twitter.com/tmRuLhWU9l
Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin said, “Seems like the BJP is rattled by a single term called India because they recognise the strength of unity within the opposition. During the elections, ‘India’ will chase BJP out of power!”
After Non-BJP forces united to dethrone the fascist BJP regime and aptly named their alliance #INDIA, now the BJP wants to change 'India' for 'Bharat.'
— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) September 5, 2023
BJP promised to TRANSFORM India, but all we got is a name change after 9 years!
Seems like the BJP is rattled by a single term…
Congress leader Supriya Shrinate also claimed that this ‘move’ exposes how rattled and spooked the Modi government is by the opposition alliance.
The official invite to Foreign Head of States and CMs for a dinner being hosted by President Murmu for G20 on the September 9th says – President of Republic of Bharat instead of Republic of India
— Supriya Shrinate (@SupriyaShrinate) September 5, 2023
That’s how rattled Modi and his minions are by INDIA
They are so spooked 😳
Speaking to ANI, Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi shared a similar view. He claimed that after the formation of the I.N.D.I.A. alliance, a new hatred has arisen in their hearts. They can’t digest the fact that the I.N.D.I.A. alliance has been accepted by the people.
He also argued that if the country’s name is changed to Bharat, the government would have to change the ‘I’s of ISRO, IITs, and other premier organisations.
#WATCH | Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi says "…We are working for India and Bharat, while BJP is working for India vs Bharat…."
— ANI (@ANI) September 5, 2023
"…From 2014 to 2023, the BJP had no problem with the word 'India'. After the formation of the INDIA alliance, a new hatred has arisen in their hearts.… pic.twitter.com/LTw3io8BYb
Speaking on the issue, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor noted that as per the constitution, the country has two names – India and Bharat and there is no problem in using the name Bharat. However, he added that it would be ‘foolish’ to do away with the name ‘India’ as it has incalculable brand value built up over centuries.
While there is no constitutional objection to calling India “Bharat”, which is one of the country’s two official names, I hope the government will not be so foolish as to completely dispense with “India”, which has incalculable brand value built up over centuries. We should… pic.twitter.com/V6ucaIfWqj
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) September 5, 2023
Responding to the reports, expelled Congress leader Sanjay Jha lamented and argued that in the next move, the government should make Nagpur the capital of India.
Next; make Nagpur the capital of India.
— Sanjay Jha (@JhaSanjay) September 5, 2023
Speculative reports of GoI reclaiming India’s civilisational identity cause consternation among Pakistanis
Apparently, the reports garnered attention from across the border as well, and a Pakistani journalist responded with the usual anti-RSS ranting.
He said, “In pursuit of their cultural revivalist agenda, RSS and BJP are striving to re-write history, changing nomenclatures, names of cities and streets as they present it a part of their de-colonisation to cover up for Hindu Rashtra— in conflict with the Republican, Inclusive and Secular India.”
In pursuit of their cultural revivalist agenda, RSS and BJP are striving to re-write history, changing nomenclatures, names of cities and streets as they present it a part of their de-colonisation to cover up for Hindu Rashtra— in conflict with the Republican, Inclusive and… https://t.co/YxA43TfpWe
— Imtiaz Alam (@ImtiazAlamSAFMA) September 5, 2023
However, netizens were quick to respond to the Pakistani journalist about their lineage.
Pretty rich coming from the *Islamic State* of Pakistan created in 1947 but traces history from Sindhu Ghati ki Sabhyata & yet cannot acknowledge it's Sanatan past. https://t.co/OTTB3OkTim
— GAURAV C SAWANT (@gauravcsawant) September 5, 2023
While the leaders of the I.N.D.I.A. bloc could not hide their distress over reports of the government giving preeminence to Bharat over India, there is no official confirmation yet on what would be on the agenda for the 5-day sitting in the special session of Parliament.
