New Delhi: The term ‘President of Bharat’ has been used for the first time in an official invite to foreign leaders attending the weekend G20 Summit, replacing the President of India. The shift in nomenclature on international stage is significant especially as the nation is ready to host the mega event featuring US President Joe Biden and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak among others.
President Droupadi Murmu’s invite to G20 foreign leaders and Chief Ministers for a dinner on September 9 says, President of Bharat instead of President of India. While officials claim that the ‘Bharat’ is already their in the Constitution, “India that is Bharat, shall be a Union of States, says Article 1 of Consitution, actor Amitabh Bachchan proudly reacted to the incident by tweeting “Bharat mata ki jai”.
Assam’s chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma welcomed the move. “Republic of Bharat- happy and proud that our civilisation is marching ahead boldly towards AMRIT KAAL”, tweeted CM Sarma.
The presidential invite has drawn sharp attention from opposition, which linked it to the name of their front to take BJP in 2024- INDIA or Indian National Development Inclusive Alliance.