'Naam badlenge, hum thodi badlenge': Jackie Shroff on India vs Bharat debate

After Amitabh Bachchan, actor Jackie Shroff has reacted to the ongoing controversy over using 'Bharat' instead of 'India'. "If Bharat is being called Bharat, it is not a bad thing... Naam badlenge, hum thodi badlenge (we won't change even if the name is changed)," he said during an interaction with news agency ANI.

Dinner invitations sent out by the Rashtrapati Bhawan to delegates and dignitaries attending the G20 Summit were in the name of President of Bharat, which triggered a political storm with the opposition alleging that the government was planning to drop the name India and stay with Bharat as the country's name.

Meanwhile, legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan took to X (formerly Twitter) said "Bharat mata ki jai" as debate spiralled over the G20 dinner invitation.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal asked a "flustered" BJP on Tuesday whether it would change the name of Bharat if the opposition alliance INDIA rechristens itself as "Bharat".

"I have no official information on this. I have heard rumours. Why is this happening? It is being said that this is being done because we have formed an alliance named INDIA. The country belongs to 140 crore people and not to one party. If the INDIA alliance rechristens itself as Bharat, will they change the name of Bharat also?" Kejriwal asked while replying to a question at a press conference here.

Kejriwal, who is the national convenor of the AAP, claimed that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the Centre is afraid of the alliance and that is why it is resorting to such changes, which he termed "treason".

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal on Tuesday said it does not behove the Centre to "change names with political motives" at a time when the country is hosting a G20 summit.

The government should focus on development and not create divisiveness in society, Badal said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

The G20 Summit is being held in Delhi on September 9 and 10 under India's presidency and several heads of state from across the world, including US President Joe Biden, are attending the event.