Changing 'India' to 'Bharat' will not serve any purpose if people are not benefited: Deputy CM Shivakumar

Bengaluru: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Wednesday said changing the name of the country from ‘India’ to ‘Bharat’ will not serve any purpose unless it benefits people.

Amid the India-Bharat naming row, he took a swipe at the BJP-led government at the Centre questioning them as to which of their promises were fulfilled.

“Changing the country, and not changing the name, is important. There should be change in India. What they are calling a ‘Bharat’, there should be some change in that Bharat,” Shivakumar told reporters here.

“What will you get by changing the name? Has there been any change in your living condition? Has your income doubled? Is there any development in your life? Did you get a job? Has Rs 15 lakh credited in your bank accounts?” he sought to know.

Noting that promises have to be fulfilled first, Shivakumar claimed that none of them such as providing jobs, controlling inflation and depositing Rs 15 lakh in the bank accounts were fulfilled.

“Did those things happen? Nothing happened. Many rich people, billionaires, surrendered their passports and left this country. Let them answer it first. Our money is draining out. People who earned money here, grew up here are going away,” he said.

According to him, changing names will not serve any purpose; behaviour and thoughts have to be changed first.

“Let them bring laws that benefit people such as Right to Education, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, land to the tillers, Food Security Act, which we had introduced. Then only we will accept (the new name),” Shivakumar said.