Ahead of G20 Summit, Modi asks ministers to refrain from ‘Bharat vs India’ debate
PM Modi met the Union council of ministers to take stock of preparations for the upcoming G20 summit and instruct them to adhere to their protocol duties.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday met the Union council of ministers to take stock of preparations for the upcoming G20 summit and instruct them to adhere to their protocol duties, said people aware of the details, adding that the PM asked his colleagues to fight falsehoods and attacks on issues of faith.

During an interaction with his ministerial colleagues, the PM also directed them to refrain from wading into the contentious debate over the possibility of renaming India as Bharat, said the people cited above. An invitation for a G20 dinner sent out by President Droupadi Murmu in her capacity as “President of Bharat” instead of “President of India” triggered the controversy on Tuesday and set off furious speculation that such a move could be part of the legislative agenda in the upcoming special session of Parliament. To be sure, the government has neither stated its position on the issue nor declared the legislative agenda for the special session.
“The ministers were told that they need to assertively face falsehoods and attacks against issues of faith, to put things in the right context and to rely on the provisions of the Constitution that do not allow denigration of any religion,” said the person quoted above, not wishing to be named.
On the upcoming G-20 Summit, the PM told his colleagues to ensure they are present for their duties as hosts for the visiting dignitaries and refrain from making any statements that could set off controversies, said the people cited above.
“The ministers have been asked to ensure that they stick to their protocol duties; are aware of the cultural richness of the country and their state so that they can share these details with the visitors. They have also been told not to speak on issues that they have not been authorised to speak on,” said the person quoted above. The ministers were also asked to travel in buses that will be arranged for their transit from Rashtrapati Bhavan to avoid inconvenience to the public.
Following the PM’s instructions, the Bharatiya Janata Party leadership also urged lawmakers, legislators and the party workers to refrain from making reckless comments or controversial statements that could hit the headlines during the summit.
“Spokespersons and other leaders have been told to speak only on issues that they are authorised to speak on. They should not let the Opposition hijack the narrative at a time when the focus is on India and the global summit,” said a second party functionary.
