‘Rattled due to INDIA’: Sharad Pawar jabs Centre after buzz over G20 invite

NCP chief Sharad Pawar said this issue will be discussed at a INDIA bloc meeting convened on Wednesday by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge

MUMBAI: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on Tuesday took a swipe at the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over speculation that the government could introduce legislation to name the country as Bharat

NCP chief Sharad Pawar said no one has the right to change the country’s name (ANI)

Pawar said no one has the right to change the country’s name, India.

“I’m unable to understand why the ruling parties are rattled by a name (INDIA) which is directly related to the country,” Pawar said, referring to the coalition of 28 opposition parties, Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), that was formed to take on the BJP.

Speculation that the government agenda during the special session of Parliament on September 18-22 could include legislation to change the country’s name was triggered after photographs of invitation cards for the G20 official dinner on September 9 at the presidential palace cards emerged on social media. These were sent out on behalf of the “President of Bharat”, and not the “President of India”.

But as he took a swipe at the Centre, Pawar acknowledged that they didn’t really know the government’s plans.

“We don’t know what the Centre is up to,” Pawar said at a press conference in Maharashtra’s Jalgaon district and added that Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has called a meeting of senior leaders of the INDIA alliance to discuss all these issues on Wednesday afternoon in Delhi.

“There will be deliberation on this in the meeting, but no one has the right to change the name (of the country). No one can change the name,” the NCP chief said.

The government announced on Saturday the constitution of a committee to study the feasibility of having simultaneous elections, just days ahead of the five-day special session that initially prompted buzz that the Lok Sabha polls may be brought forward and a bill for simultaneous or synchronised elections may be tabled. The government hasn’t announced any agenda for the special session.

Pawar said these developments were efforts by the government to divert attention as they are shaken because of the opposition alliance.

“The reason behind (all this) is the meeting of the INDIA alliance. As many as 7-8 chief ministers and heads of 18 other political parties attended the Mumbai. meeting. The ruling parties are rattled looking at the response and hence doing all this,” the veteran leader said, insisting that there was no real need to call the special session.

The former union minister also questioned the government’s seriousness about its one nation, one election proposal.

“I have never seen any government appointing a committee under a former president. If they are really serious, then they should have roped in opposition leader in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge in the process,” he said and pointed out that the government made BJP leaders part of the panel instead of making the opposition parties part of the process.

“It means they want to divert people’s attention from the current issues before the country,” he said.

There has been no reaction from the Centre or the BJP to the speculation.