Centre's Bharat plan is panic reaction to Opposition move, says Rahul in Europe

Responding to the ongoing Bharat-India row, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday (September 8) said the Centre’s move was a “panic reaction” to Opposition parties coming together to form the INDIA alliance.

On a visit to Europe, the Congress leader addressed a press meet in Brussels where Sam Pitroda was also present.

“I am perfectly happy with the name in the Constitution – India that is Bharat. This works perfectly well for me,” Rahul said.

“The BJP-led government is in “a little bit of fear” and is adopting “distraction tactics” such as throwing the idea of renaming the country after the Opposition formed their alliance ‘INDIA’. “These, to me, in a sense, are panic reaction. There is a little bit of fear in the government. These are distraction tactics. We, of course, came up with the name INDIA for our coalition and it's a fantastic idea. This represents who we are. We consider ourselves to be the voice of India. So the name works very well,” Rahul said.

Adding that the very name INDIA has irked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said, “But it surely disturbed the prime minister enough that he wants to change the name of the country which is absurd. But that’s what it is,” the Congress MP from Wayanad said.

The controversy over the purported attempt by the Centre to change country’s official name to Bharat erupted when the government sent a dinner invite to the G20 leaders on behalf of President Droupadi Murmu.

Rahul also said that the prime minister often comes up with “dramatic” diversionary tactics, whenever the Opposition raises controversies surrounding Gautam Adani and how the government is working for the benefit of his “friend”. “It's curious that just after I did a press conference on Adani, this entire diversion is taking place. It's interesting,” Rahul Gandhi added in his Brussels press meet. A day earlier, the Congress leader had interactions with members of European Parliament at Brussels