"Centre attempting removal of the word 'India' through constitutional amendment:Kerala CM Vijayan
Sep 06, 2023
Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], September 6 : Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has strongly condemned the Centre's move to allegedly replace the name 'India' with 'Bharat' describing it as an attempt to remove the word 'India' through a constitutional amendment.
The Chief Minister urged the people to unite and resist “such brazen political measures”.
“The move behind the exclusion of the word 'India' is against the Constitution, and disregards the country itself. ' Article 1 of the Constitution itself refers to our nation as 'India that is Bharat.' Similarly, the preface of the Constitution begins with the words 'We the people of India.' However, what the Centre is attempting now is the removal of the word 'India' through a constitutional amendment,” the CM said.
He further asked why there is contempt and fear of the word ‘India’ and alleged that there is a deliberate attempt to “erase the spirit” nurtured in children.
“Mentioning ' the President of Bharat' instead of ' the President of India' in the invitations extended to the heads of the states participating in the G20 Summit is a prelude to this. Why this contempt and fear of the word 'India'? There is a deliberate attempt to erase even the spirit nurtured in children through the Pledge: India is my country; all Indians are my brothers and sisters,” CM Vijayan said.
He added, “Political decisions should never be contrary to the foundational ideals of our nation. This dubious attempt is undemocratic and unconstitutional.”
CM Vijayan urged the Central government to withdraw from such attempts to defy the Constitution and disregard the nation.
The controversy was triggered after the invitation for the G20 dinner was sent out in the name of the President of 'Bharat' and not India.
The row erupted over the issue of ‘India and Bharat’ with the members of the Opposition INDIA bloc – from the Congress to TMC, DMK to AAP – alleging it was an attempt by the “rattled” BJP to “divide people and later linked to the formation of their alliance.
The debate started after Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan shared on X, formerly Twitter, a G20 dinner invite in which Droupadi Murmu was described as the 'President of Bharat'.
