Brussels, Belgium – Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intentions to alter the country’s name from India to Bharat have been called “absurd” by India’s top opposition leader.
Prime Minister Modi’s proposal to change India’s official name from the “Republic of India” to “Bharat” is not a new idea. It has been discussed and debated for years, with proponents arguing that it would reflect a stronger sense of national identity and cultural heritage. However, critics like Rahul Gandhi argue that such a move is “absurd” and overlooks more pressing issues facing the nation.
Rahul Gandhi’s criticism of this proposal stems from his belief that changing the name of the country should not be a priority for the government at a time when India faces numerous pressing challenges. The country grapples with issues such as economic inequality, healthcare infrastructure, education, and social unrest. Many argue that focusing on a name change instead of addressing these critical issues seems misplaced and disconnected from the needs of the common citizen.
The Congress party’s leader has accused Modi of favouring large industrialists and has called for an Adani billionaire investigation, who runs the Adani Group, for potential financial breaches.
The Adani Group, which operates seaports and airports across India, has recently come under scrutiny after an inquiry found that it used offshore tax havens to boost its share price.
Gandhi is in Europe to meet with European Union parliamentarians, human rights activists, and members of the Indian diaspora in Belgium, the Netherlands, France, and Norway.
While Gandhi was a harsh critic of Modi, he rejected the premise that meeting with Modi gave Hindu nationalism “a free pass.” Since Modi’s election in 2014, Hindu nationalist groups have been accused of carrying out atrocities on minorities, with hundreds of Muslims lynched. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has denied any involvement in such attacks.
Modi has been chastised by the Congress leader for fracturing the ostensibly secular country of 1.5 billion people along religious lines. To bring people together, he established the countrywide Bharat Jodo Yatra, or India’s unification march, last year.
“I believe one of the lessons I learned on my recent walk was that the people of my country have an inherent and profound wisdom.” “Regardless of where they are in society….,” he continued.