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From Country Card To Official Badges, 'Bharat' Replaces 'India' At G20 Summit Amid Name-Change Row

The push for using 'Bharat' in the place of 'India' to refer to the country, was overtly visible during day one of the G20 Summit in New Delhi on Saturday, from the country card that PM Narendra Modi sat in front of, posters across the venue and even in the prime minister's speech.

The push for using 'Bharat' in the place of 'India' to refer to the country, was overtly visible during day one of the G20 Summit in New Delhi on Saturday, from the country card that PM Narendra Modi sat in front of, posters across the venue and even in the prime minister's speech.

The row first erupted when a dinner invite sent to G20 delegates and other guests ahead of the summit mentioned 'President of Bharat' instead of the customary 'President of India', a move which sparked claims from opposition parties that the government is trying to drop 'India' from the country's name. They also linked the move to their decision to name their alliance INDIA.

'Bharat' in G20

PM Narendra Modi was identified as the leader representing 'Bharat' at the G20 Summit  on Saturday. The name card in front of Modi as he addressed the gathering at the Bharat Mandapam, the venue of the Summit, said 'Bharat'. PM Modi also said in his opening remarks: 'Bharat welcomes you' in Hindi. This was the first time the namecard 'Bharat' was used to refer to India at any global summit.

The elaborate decoration of the venue, Bharat Mandapam, also included posters of 'Bharat', along with 'India'. 

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