G20 Summit: Indian PM Modi addresses member states with 'Bharat' nameplate on his desk
Indian PM Narendra Modi addresses the G20 Summit in New Delhi.
India is hosting the G20 Summit on Saturday (September 9) and Sunday. A controversy emerged in the run-up to the summit when Indian President Droupadi Murmu sent invites for the dinner on the sidelines of the summit by calling herself "President of Bharat." This stirred speculation that the government may be about to change the country's name. This possible change of name triggered a squabble between opposition parties and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
On Saturday, Prime Minister Modi began addressing the G20 member states in New Delhi. The deskwhere he was sitting had the nameplate Bharat instead of India.
Now by convention, invitations issued by Indian constitutional bodies have always mentioned the name India when the text is in English, and the name Bharat when the text is in Hindi. However, the invites -- in English -- for the G20 dinner called Murmu the President of Bharat.
During the upcoming special session of parliament later this month, the change of India's name could be discussed and possibly passed.
A few days back, Prime Minister Modi advised his ministers to refrain from commenting on the "Bharat vs. India" row. Opposition parties have meanwhile accused the government of deflecting the focus of citizens from real issues.
Changing India's name to only Bharat would require an amendment to the Constitution which would need to be passed by a two-thirds majority in both houses of parliament- the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.
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