Karnataka: CM Siddaramaiah steps into India vs Bharat debate

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah stepped into the India vs Bharat row on Monday, accusing the BJP of digging into emotional issues ahead of elections. “The country has been known as India ever since we adopted the Constitution in 1950. There is no need to change it now,” he said.

Earlier in the day, Deputy CM DK Shivakumar also slammed the saffron party, warning it that its days in power were numbered. “This is the Republic of India, our currency notes also say Reserve Bank of India,” he said. Shivakumar went on to allege that the Centre was considering a name change as the Opposition alliance was called INDIA. “It shows the amount of fear they have about us, how much they are affected, and that they are able to see their defeat,” he said.

The India vs Bharat controversy began with a G20 invite issued in the name of ‘President of Bharat.’ Opposition parties have raised a ruckus, alleging that the Centre is trying to change the name of the country.


On Monday, AICC leader Jairam Ramesh took to platform X, alleging that the “Union of states” so referred to in the preamble was now under assault. Now, Article 1 in the Constitution can read: “Bharat, that was India, shall be a Union of States,” he tweeted. There is speculation that the Centre might issue a resolution about the name change during the special session of Parliament scheduled on September 18.

Aam Aadmi Party convenor Arvind Kejriwal taunted the BJP, asking if they would change the name ‘Bharat’ if the Opposition alliance had called itself that. "The country belongs to 140 crore people, not to a party…The BJP is thinking that their vote count will decrease so they should change the name of Bharat,” he said.

BJP-led states however have welcomed the speculation, with leaders like Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma saying this was a sign the country was moving towards Amrit Kaal. BJP MP Naresh Bansal, who had pitched the proposal in the monsoon session of Parliament, called the name ‘India’ a symbol of colonial slavery. The British changed Bharat's name to India…The name should be removed from the Constitution,” he said.