Sharad Pawar Defends Country’s Name Amid Controversy Over G20 Dinner Invite

New Delhi, Sep 05, 2023: Sharad Pawar, the President of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), weighed in on the controversy surrounding the reference to India as “Bharat” in a G20 dinner invite. The Congress had expressed concerns about the alteration of the country’s name and suggested that it undermines the idea of the “Union of States” in India.

Pawar stated, “I don’t understand why the ruling party is perturbed over a name related to the country,” during a press conference in Jalgaon, Maharashtra. He emphasized that altering the name of the country would require a change in the Constitution, which he had no information about.

Furthermore, Pawar mentioned that Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has called for a meeting of all party heads in the INDIA alliance, a coalition of 28 opposition parties formed to challenge the BJP-led government in the upcoming general elections. The issue of India’s name change is expected to be discussed during this meeting.

While Pawar acknowledged the need for deliberation on the matter, he firmly stated, “No one has the right to change the name (of the country). No one can change the name.”

The controversy arose when the Congress alleged that the Modi government was undermining the concept of the “Union of States” by referring to the President as “President of Bharat” in the G20 dinner invite.

The G20 Summit, hosted by India, is scheduled to take place in New Delhi from September 9 to 10, with prominent global leaders, including US President Joe Biden, expected to attend the event.