‘Plea to rename India be treated as representation’

New Delhi: The Supreme Court Wednesday directed that a plea, seeking direction to the Centre to amend the Constitution and replace the word India with ‘Bharat’ or ‘Hindustan’, be treated as a representation by the authority concerned.
“The present petition is directed to be treated as a representation and may be considered by the appropriate ministries,” a bench headed by Chief Justice SA Bobde said in its order.
The bench, also comprising Justices AS Bopanna and Hrishikesh Roy, disposed of the plea which claimed that such an amendment will “ensure the citizens of this country get over the colonial past”.
The plea, filed by a Delhi-based man, has contended that replacing the word India with ‘Bharat’ or ‘Hindustan’ will “instill a sense of pride in our own nationality”. While hearing the matter through video-conferencing, the bench told the petitioner’s counsel that India is already called ‘Bharat’ in the Constitution itself. (PTI)