No need to rename India as Bharat, says CM Siddaramaiah

BENGALURU: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said that the Constitution incorporates the phrase ‘Constitution of India’. “India is an accepted word for our country and I don’t think changing it is as ‘Bharat’ is necessary”, he said while reacting to speculation that the Union government may change the country’s name from India to Bharat.

The speculation started after President Droupadi Murmu sent out an official invitation to G20 leaders for a dinner on September 9 wherein it said, “The President of Bharat requests the pleasure of the company of…”

Reacting to this, Siddaramaiah said that the word Republic of India is already mentioned in the Constitution. “Our country has accepted the word India. There is no need for the new name ‘Bharat”.

CM Siddaramaiah refused to reply to Tamil Nadu CM M K Stalin’s son Udhayanidhi Stalin’s controversial remarks on Sanatana Dharma.

Sources said that the central government, led by the BJP is likely to introduce a resolution in the special session of Parliament this month to rename the country ‘Republic of Bharat’ replacing the word ‘India’.