Amid India-Bharat row, old video of PM Modi explaining 'Bharat' meaning resurfaces | WATCH

Amid the intense India-Bharat row, an old video of Prime Minister Narendra Modi explaining the meaning of Bharat has resurfaced on social media. During his Lok Sabha address in February this year, PM Modi quoted the ancient Hindu text Vishnu Puran and defined what Bharat and Bharatiya means. 

"The country that lies in the north of the ocean and the south of the Himalayas is called Bharat and the people of that country are called Bharatiya," PM Modi said quoting the Vishnu Puran. 

The ruling BJP and the opposition parties are engaged in a war of words over the official renaming of India as Bharat. Sources revealed that the Centre might introduce a bill for the same in the five-day special session of the Parliament starting September 18. However, Union Minister Anurag Thakur recently dismissed these speculations by calling them rumours. 

UN says open to name change requests

The controversy over the reported renaming has spilled beyond the borders and reached the United Nations (UN). Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the UN said on Wednesday that the UN considers requests from countries to change their names as and when it receives them citing the example of Turkey, which officially became Türkiye in June 2022. 

The controversy in India started after the G20 dinner invitations from the Rashtrapati Bhawan called President of India the 'President of Bharat.' Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma also called India 'Republic of Bharat' on X, hinting about the change that might be underway. "REPUBLIC OF BHARAT - happy and proud that our civilisation is marching ahead boldly towards AMRIT KAAL," Sarma wrote.

The Congress party was soon to point it out and accused the BJP of creating divide in the country. The Opposition leaders have also that the central government is scared of the popularity of the newly-formed INDIA bloc.