Supreme Court to hear plea seeking officially renaming 'India' to 'Bharat' on June 2

In yet another bid to officially rename 'India', a PIL has been filed by an individual named Namah seeking India to be renamed as 'Bharat'. A Supreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice SA Bobde, Justice AS Bopanna and Justice Hrishikesh Roy is scheduled to hear the plea on June 2. Currently, India's apex court is only hearing to urgent matters amid India's extended COVID-19 lockdown.

SC to hear renaming 'India' plea

No fare either by train or bus shall be charged from any migrant worker:SC

Details of the plea

In this plea, the petitioner - Namah, has sought enforcement of the fundamental rights under Article 21 of the Constitution which entitles every citizen equal right to call his or her own country as 'Bharat', as per reports. Moreover, he had contended that the Union Government has failed to do away with the symbol of slavery by using the name ‘India’ instead of Bharat or Hindustan. He has also pointed out to the many pleas which have sought the same and the government's inaction to do so, justifying his reason to approach the apex court, state reports.

Congress' Randeep Surjewala approaches Supreme Court over migrant crisis with urgent plea

SC rejects PIL to rename India

As per reports, on 12 March 2016, the Supreme Court had dismissed a petition seeking renaming of India as Bharat. Reacting to the absurdity of the plea, the bench of Justices TS Thakur and UU Lalit asked, "Do you think we have no other work except dealing with emotional issues?”. It further admonished the petitioner - Niranjan Bhatwal, a Maharashtra-based social activist stating, "Help the poor through the PIL jurisdiction. If you want to call it Bharat, do so. Nobody is stopping you," according to reports.

Prior to this order, an SC bench led by then chief justice HL Dattu had sought responses of the Centre, states and Union Territories on Bhatwal’s PIL in April 2016, state reports. Moreover, Bhatwal had argued that the Constituent Assembly had originally conceived and adopted Bharat as the official name. He had sought clarification on the phrase — “India, that is, Bharat shall be a Union of States” — used in Article 1 of the Indian Constitution.

Uttar Pradesh: CM Adityanath to sign MoU on employment for migrants, 11.5 lakhs to benefit

He had stated in his petition that  ‘India’ is not a literal translation of the word ‘Bharata’. Besides the country, both historically and in the Scriptures, is known as ‘Bharata’, as per reports. Moreover, he stated that with the phrase - 'India, that is Bharat, shall be a Union of States', codified Bharat’ name for the Republic of India'. After receiving no response from the Centre on the matter, the petitioner reportedly moved the Supreme Court.

Jharkhand govt airlifts 60 migrants from Leh, CM Hemant Soren to receive them at airport