How Opposition Parties Are Reacting To India Vs Bharat Row?

Congress and its partners from its INDIA alliance have slammed the Centre after a G20 dinner invite referred to the President as "President of Bharat".

The party also accused the prime minister of distorting history and dividing the country. "So the news is indeed true. Rashtrapati Bhawan has sent out an invite for a G20 dinner on Sept 9th in the name of 'President of Bharat' instead of the usual 'President of India'," Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said in a post on X. "Now, Article 1 in the Constitution can read: Bharat, that was India, shall be a Union of States. But now even this Union of States is under assault," Ramesh alleged.

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee: Today, they (Centre) changed the name of India. In the invitation card for the G20 Summit dinner, it is mentioned 'Bharat'...In English, we say 'India' and the 'Indian Constitution' and in Hindi, we say 'Bharat ka Samvidhan'. We all say 'Bharat', what is new in this? But the name 'India' is known to the world...What happened suddenly that they had to change the name of the country?

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin: After Non-BJP forces united to dethrone the fascist BJP regime and aptly named their alliance INDIA, now the BJP wants to change 'India' for 'Bharat.'

BJP promised to TRANSFORM India, but all we got is a name change after 9 years! Seems like the BJP is rattled by a single term called India because they recognise the strength of unity within the opposition. During the elections, 'India' will chase BJP out of power!

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal: These people are so upset with the INDIA alliance that they will even change the name of the country? If tomorrow we name our alliance "Bharat", will we change the name "Bharat" as well?

RJD leader Manoj Jha: "We did not know the BJP would be so jittery... It has been only a few weeks since this INDIA alliance was formed and you are bringing a resolution to change the 'Republic of India' to the 'Republic of Bharat'. Our Constitution very clearly says 'India that is Bharat', and our (opposition alliance) tagline says -- 'Judega Bharat, Jitega India' You will be neither able to take India nor Bharat. People will snatch away the power that is enabling you to do this, people love both India and Bharat.

Mehbooba Mufti, President JKPDP: BJPs aversion to India's foundational principle of unity in diversity has touched a new low. By reducing India's many names from Hindustan & India to now only Bharat shows its pettiness & intolerance. For the first time in India's post independence history, a party with a brute majority is treating the entire country as its fiefdom.

Congress Leader Shashi Tharoor: While there is no constitutional objection to calling India "Bharat", which is one of the country's two official names, I hope the government will not be so foolish as to completely dispense with "India", which has incalculable brand value built up over centuries. We should continue to use both words rather than relinquish our claim to a name redolent of history, a name that is recognised around the world.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah: In our Constitution, it is incorporated that 'Constitution of India'. India is an accepted word for the country making it 'Bharat', I don't think is required.

DMK MP Kanimozhi: We've never seen invitations going out in the name of 'President of Bharat', it is always been 'President of India' or Prime Minister of India'. Why have they done this now? What is the intention behind it? What is the politics behind it? It has been in the Constitution all these years but nobody used it. Recently, the RSS chief said that the name of India has to be changed. Reading this after that brings up a lot of questions. Is RSS setting the agenda for the entire nation? ...We don't know why the special session of Parliament has been called? We don't know what the agenda is.

Congress Leader Mani Shankar Iyer: They are scared of the INDIA alliance. Our Constitution says "India, that is Bharat.

Congress leader Digvijaya Singh: Constitution says India that is 'Bharat'. I am quoting the constitution- India that is 'Bharat'.

Congress leader Pawan Khera: PM Modi is now having a problem with the India name and he is changing its name to 'Bharat'. The whole world is laughing at him... We have no problem that you hate us, our ideology and our leaders but do not hate India, Indians.