Ask Rahul why he didn’t name ‘Bharat Jodo’ as ‘India Jodo’: Assam CM

 NEW DELHI: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday lashed out at the Opposition for criticising the government over the President of Bharat G20 invite, saying they should first ask Congress leader Rahul Gandhi why he did not name ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ as ‘India Jodo Yatra’.

Opposition has slammed the BJP government after the Rashtrapati Bhawan sent out invites for a G20 dinner on September 9 in the name of the President of Bharat instead of the usual President of India, saying the country doesn’t belong to a political party.

“In our Constitution, it is clearly said that India means Bharat. The name Bharat has been around for a long time. So, there is no need to give a new name to Bharat,” the Chief Minister told reporters at the Assam House here, attacking the Opposition. He said, “Our country was Bharat; it is Bharat, and it will always remain Bharat.”

“When the country is heading towards Amrit Kaal, then why should our country’s name be in a British name?

“What is the problem with the Congress Party?” They did the Bharat Jodo Yatra; why did they not name it the India Jodo Yatra? When you think it will benefit you, then you take the Bharat name; when you feel it will not benefit you, you take the India name,” the Chief Minister said.

Sarma, who is also the convenor of the BJP-led North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), in an apparent reference to Tamil Nadu Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin’s remarks, said, “Opposition is conspiring to eliminate Hindu religion. Now, they are after Bharat. They should first ask Rahul Gandhi why he did not keep the name of the Bharat Jodo Yatra as India Jodo Yatra.”

On September 7 last year, Rahul Gandhi, who represents Kerala’s Wayanad parliamentary seat, carried out the Bharat Jodo Yatra from Tamil Nadu’s Kanyakumari, which concluded in Jammu and Kashmir in January this year.

The Congress said the yatra was one of its most decisive mass contact programmes.

Earlier, in a series of posts on X, the Chief Minister wrote: “Now my apprehension has proven to be true. The Congress party seems to have a strong aversion to Bharat. It appears that the name I.N.D.I. Alliance was intentionally chosen with the aim of defeating BHARAT.”

“Republic of Bharat—happy and proud that our civilization is marching ahead boldly towards Amrit Kaal,” he said.

Amrit Kaal was coined by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2021 and envisions a new roadmap for the country for the next 25 years. (IANS)

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