Is Hindu nationalist group RSS behind push to rename India as Bharat?

Switching of usual "President of India" phrase to "President of Bharat" on formal G20 summit dinner invitations has generated global debate while giving rise to national political tensions that are deepening the controversy.

The events leading towards this controversy are explained as follows:

The phrase "Bharat" was also used in a G20 pamphlet titled "Bharat, The Mother Of Democracy" that was intended for international delegates. "Bharat is the nation's official name. The Constitution and the talks from 1946 to 1948 both reference it, the brochure claims.

As the nation is ready to meet US President Joe Biden, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, and other prominent world leaders, this represents a significant change in terminology on the international stage.

Sambit Patra, a spokesman for the BJP, published a document yesterday night that mentioned the PM's trip to Indonesia and referred to him as the "Prime Minister of Bharat." 'Bharat - Official' will now also appear on the identification cards of Indian representatives at the G20 summit on September 9 and 10, reported NDTV.

Reportedly, later this month, during the five-day extraordinary session of parliament that begins on September 18, the administration may propose a resolution to alter the nation's name. 

The rumours have only grown since the administration hasn't released an agenda for the extraordinary session.

The opposition harshly criticised the action. The Narendra Modi administration was accused of "distorting history and dividing India" by the members of the Opposition INDIA group.

They connected their alliance's establishment to the government action. Arvind Kejriwal, the leader of the AAP, questioned whether the government would rename the nation to "BJP" if the opposition coalition chose the name "Bharat."

Sharad Pawar, leader of the Nationalist Congress Party, stated nobody has the authority to change the name of the nation. The NCP leader remarked, "I don't understand why the ruling party is upset over a term (INDIA bloc) relating to the nation."

Leaders of the BJP, on the other hand, praised the "Bharat" nomenclature and decried the opposition as being anti-national and anti-constitutional. They claimed that the word "Bharat" appears in the Constitution's Article 1 as well, which states: "India, that is Bharat, shall be a Union of States."

The choice to use the word "Bharat" is a strong protest against the colonial mentality, according to Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. "This ought to have occurred sooner. I feel quite satisfied about it. Our name is Bharat, and we are proud of it. 'Bharat' is the president's top priority".

Just two days prior, the ideological guru of the BJP, the head of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), proposed that the nation abandon India and adopt the name Bharat instead. "We need to start referring to India as Bharat instead of India. No matter where you go in the globe, the name of the nation Bharat will always be Bharat. Bharat must be used both orally and in writing, according to RSS leader Mohan Bhagwat.