G20 Summit 2023: The G20 Summit has kicked off, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the event with his opening speech.
In a notable development, the African Union has been appointed as a permanent member of the G20 group during this summit.
As Prime Minister Modi addressed fellow leaders, something caught everyone's attention. Typically, in any gathering, the names of countries are displayed in front of their respective leaders.
When Prime Minister Modi was addressing today, the card in front of him displayed 'BHARAT' instead of 'India.'
This has sparked discussions amid the ongoing controversy surrounding the use of 'Bharat' instead of 'India' in the country.
It's worth noting that India has been embroiled in a political debate between the ruling and opposition parties regarding 'Bharat' and 'India.'
The central government has also called a special session of Parliament from September 18th to 22nd. Before this, an invitation from President Droupadi Murmu to the guests of the G20 nations for a dinner event was labelled as "President of Bharat."
The Congress party criticized the BJP, suggesting that the BJP-led government is apprehensive of the I.N.D.I.A alliance's focus on inflation and unemployment issues.
On Saturday (September 09), Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as a representative of Bharat, made his presence felt before the G20 nations.
Throughout the two-day G20 meeting, the government will use 'Bharat' in several official G20 documents. In contrast, India's official documents typically use the word 'India' as per the Constitution.
Official sources have stated that this decision was made thoughtfully. Moreover, the venue for the summit is named 'Bharat Mandapam.'
Notably, 'BHARAT' is also prominently written in English in front of Prime Minister Modi.