PM Modi Addresses First Session Of G20 Sitting Behind 'Bharat' Country-Plate

In a significant development, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday (9 September) addressed the first sitting of the G20 Leaders' Summit behind 'Bharat' country-plate.

Instead of using the traditional term 'India', the country-nameplate in front of PM Modi at the first session of G20 Summit read 'Bharat'.

This comes amid the ongoing controversy over the renaming of India to 'Bharat'.

Earlier last week, a dinner invite to G20 leaders from President Droupadi Murmu caused controversy and speculation as instead of the usual 'President of India', the invitation had 'President of Bharat' inscribed on it.

Later, another document surfaced that also referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the 'Prime Minister of Bharat'.

A note regarding the Prime Minister's visit to Indonesia for the 20th ASEAN-India Summit and the 18th East Asia Summit used the term 'Prime Minister of Bharat'.

BJP National Spokesperson Sambit Patra posted the note on X, formerly known as Twitter.

However, this immediately invited criticism from the Congress, which pointed out that the same document used both the terms 'ASEAN-India Summit' and 'Prime Minister of Bharat'.

Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh took to the platform to criticise the Modi government, claiming that it was confused.

Ramesh highlighted the use of 'Prime Minister of Bharat' at the 20th ASEAN-India summit and suggested that this "drama" was a result of the Opposition collectively calling themselves "INDIA".

It should be noted that the G20 invitation from the President led to the buzz that the country's name may be changed during the special session of Parliament from 18-22 September.

The government has not yet announced the agenda for the special session, adding to the anticipation surrounding this potential name change.