The Union government is reportedly planning to remove the word “India” from the Constitution in the upcoming Special Session of Parliament scheduled to be held from September 18 to 22.
According to media reports, the government may introduce a bill in Parliament to remove the word “India” from the Constitution. The bill needs to amend Article 1 of the Indian Constitution, which currently reads, “India, that is Bharat.”
Speculation increased after Rashtrapati Bhawan sent out invites for G20 dinner on September 9 in the name of the “President of Bharat” instead of the usual “President of India.”
Following this development, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh said, “So the news is indeed true. Rashtrapati Bhawan has sent out an invite for a G20 dinner on September 9 in the name of ‘President of Bharat’ instead of the usual ‘President of India.'”
“Now, Article 1 in the Constitution can read: ‘Bharat, that was India, shall be a Union of States.’ But even this ‘Union of States’ is now under assault,” the Congress communication in-charge said.
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor wrote, “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.”
Although the use of ‘President of Bharat’ on the invites for the G20 dinner fuels speculation about dropping the word “India” from the Constitution, no confirmation has been provided by the government.
It remains to be seen whether the central government will remove the word “India” from the Constitution and make “Bharat” the only name of the country.
