NEW DELHI: RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale pitched that the country must go forward with only one name and constitutional amendments must be made to replace “India” with “Bharat”.
Speaking during an event in Delhi, Hosabale referred the G20 dinner invitation that addressed the President as “President of Bharat” in September 2023, which led to widespread speculation about the government’s intention to change the country’s name from India to Bharat.
“In recent days, the government’s G20 invitation, invitation for a banquet at the presidential residence, was written in English as ‘Bharat’ because the name of Bharat should be called India in English and Bharat in the Indian language,” Hosabale said.
Hosabaole said that questions must be raised regarding the usage of two names for the country and this matter should be rectified.
“It is the ‘Constitution of India’, ‘Reserve Bank of India’. Why is it like this? Such a question should be raised. It should be rectified. If the country’s name is Bharat, it should only be called that way,” he further said.
The transition from “Bharat” to “India” as the commonly utilised name for the country encompasses a multifaceted history, influenced by linguistic multiplicity, colonialism, and governmental transformations.
The India vs Bharat row started soon after the opposition parties, which have joined hands against the BJP for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, decided to name their group as INDIA (Indian National Inclusive Developmental Alliance).
Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the attack against the new name of the opposition front. The Prime Minister cited examples of organisations like Popular Front of India and said they also use India in their names. In most of his subsequent speeches, the Prime Minister used Bharat for most of his references to the country. Almost all Union ministers and BJP leaders followed suit and targeted the new name of the opposition alliance.