New Delhi (Agency): Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin ignited a political debate when he declared that the opposition alliance, known as INDIA, will “chase the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) out of power” in the future Lok Sabha elections. His remarks come in the midst of a nationwide discussion on whether the country should be called ‘India’ or ‘Bharat.’
Stalin made his thoughts known on social media. “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,'” he said. “During the elections, ‘India’ will chase BJP out of power!” Stalin added, suggesting that the BJP is unsettled by the unity within the opposition.
Earlier, Congress Rajya Sabha MP Jairam Ramesh criticized the government for sending out invitations for a G20 dinner event in the name of the ‘President of Bharat’ instead of the ‘President of India.’ Opposition leaders were quick to question the change.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also joined the conversation. He asked whether the government would change the name of the country to the Bharatiya Janata Party if the INDIA bloc is renamed to Bharat. Kejriwal suggested that this is happening because the opposition has named itself INDIA.
DMK MP Kanimozhi asked about the intent behind using ‘Bharat’ instead of ‘India.’ “What is the politics behind it?” she queried, noting that the term ‘India’ has always been used in official communications.
These debates were fueled by recent remarks from RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat, who advocated for the use of ‘Bharat’ over ‘India.’ He argued that the name of the country has been Bharat for ages and should be used as such.
The controversy over the name of the country has created a new front for political conflict. While some see it as a matter of national identity, others argue that it is a political tactic aimed at distracting from more pressing issues.
