Reacting to the controversy that has arisen after invitation cards for a G20 dinner in Delhi mentioned Droupadi Murmu as 'President of Bharat' and not India, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar told news agency ANI that he would invite everybody to read the Constitution, which states 'India, that is Bharat'.
A massive row erupted after invitations for a G20 dinner were sent out by President Droupadi Murmu describing her position as 'President of Bharat' instead of the customary 'President of India' with the opposition alleging that the Modi government is planning to drop India and stay with just Bharat as the country's name.
"India, that is Bharat - it is there in the Constitution. I would invite everybody to read it," Jaishankar said.
"When you say Bharat, in a sense, a meaning and an understanding and a connotation comes with it and I think that is reflected in our Constitution as well," he added.
Confirming that Bharat has been used as the name of the country in some of the documents relating to G20, sources told news agency PTI it was a conscious decision.
The move also further fuelled the speculation that the issue of changing the name of the country could come up during the five-day special session of Parliament beginning September 18.
As no specific agenda has been announced yet for the Parliament session, speculations regarding its agenda ranging from simultaneous polls to women's reservation bill are doing the rounds.
Many opposition leaders shared Article 1 of the Constitution which states that "India, that is Bharat, shall be a Union of States" and also the provision that refers to the country's president as "President of India".
The opposition also claimed that it was reflective of the BJP's "jitteriness" over the INDIA bloc.
(With agency inputs)
Also Read: ‘Self-confidence critical for nations’: Former CEA on buzz that Centre may rename India as Bharat
Also Read: 'Naam badlenge, hum thodi badlenge': Jackie Shroff on India vs Bharat debate