BJP shifts focus - ‘game-changer to name-changer’: Priyank Kharge on ‘India-Bharat’ row
The Karnataka minister and Congress leader questioned the rationale of changing names from India to Bharat in G20 invite – a move which was never made before.
It is frivolous of the government to get into these things (changing name of India to Bharat), we have bigger problems, Karnataka minister and Congress leader Priyank Kharge said taking a dig at the Centre asking whether renaming the country or important places would change the fortune and economic condition of India.
“They (Centre) came to power saying that they would be game changers, but they have become name changers. Nothing is going to change by changing names. Is the fortune of India going to change, is the economic situation of India going to change?” he asked.
Also read: From ‘India’ to ‘Bharat’? Opposition's charge on Presidential invite for G20 dinner
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 a 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.
The Opposition said the decision violated the Constitution and sought to link it to the decision to name the 28-party opposition grouping INDIA, but some senior government ministers said it was meant to snap ties with a colonial past. The invite for the September 9 dinner at 8pm, to be hosted by Murmu in Bharat Mandapam, will come in the middle of the G20 leaders summit in New Delhi.
Union minister Anurag Thakur earlier said that no discussion has taken place to officially change the name of the country. To this, Kharge said they should clarify what led to the invitation being sent out from the first citizen of the country who was represented as the ‘President of Bharat’ instead of President of India.
He then cited the central government report that mentioned around 74% of Indians are not getting nutritious food and claimed that the economy of India has been ‘in tatters’ in last nine years. “These are the things they should be talking about”.
