Prime Minister Narendra Modi identified as leader representing Bharat at G20 meet

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was identified as the leader representing ‘Bharat’ at the G20 Summit here on Saturday as he made his opening remarks at the beginning of the two-day meeting.

The government has used ‘Bharat’, a name used in the Constitution for the country along with India, in several official G20 documents. Official sources have said it is a conscious decision.

The name card in front of Modi as he addressed the gathering at the Bharat Mandapam, the venue of the Summit, said ‘Bharat’.

A dinner invite has been sent to G20 delegates and other guests from ‘President of Bharat’, a move which ignited a political row with opposition parties claiming the government is trying to drop ‘India’ from the country’s name. They also linked the move to their decision to name their alliance INDIA.

The ruling BJP has cheered the use of Bharat, citing the ancient Hindi name’s cultural roots. Some leaders claimed the English name ‘India’ is a colonial legacy.

The party has, however, largely avoided getting into the ‘Bharat vs India’ debate with its leaders noting that the Constitution uses both names for the country.