National Conference leader Omar Abdullah has weighed in on the ongoing debate over whether "India" or "Bharat" should be used as the country's name, emphasising the constitutional significance of the issue. Abdullah on Friday (September 8) stated, "Nobody can change it (the country's name). It is not easy to change the country's name. You will need to change the country's Constitution to accomplish this. If you have the guts, go for it; we'll see who supports you up."
Both "India" and "Bharat" are recognised names for the country in the Constitution, according to Abdullah. He stated that, while Prime Minister Modi is free to use the name of his choice, the name "India" should not be removed from the Constitution, emphasising the importance of choice in this matter.
"If you read the constitution, it says in the beginning that 'India', or 'Bharat', is a Union of States, and it includes both names. If Modiji does not want to use the word 'India,' he can do so, but he cannot remove it from the Constitution," he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
His comments come in the wake of controversy sparked by invitations for a G20 dinner issued by President Droupadi Murmu, where she referred to her position as 'President of Bharat' instead of the customary 'President of India,' leading to opposition concerns about a potential name change.
Earlier on Wednesday, Abdullah stated that the opposition INDIA bloc is willing to change its name if it has sparked the Centre's push for Bharat rather than India.
"If the opposition parties naming their alliance INDIA is the catalyst for this debate, we are willing to change the name of our alliance. We do not want to complicate matters for the country; rather, we want to reduce its spending. If the change is due to the fact that our alliance is known as INDIA, we will adapt," Abdullah was quoted as saying by the news agency PTI.
According to a PTI report, Abdullah questioned the logic behind preferring "Bharat" over "India" and expressed concern about the potential renaming of numerous institutions and entities associated with the current name. He also expressed reservations about the upcoming special session of parliament and its purpose, particularly the 'One Nation, One Election' proposal, emphasising the importance of preserving the country's federal structure and regional parties.