By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Sep 9: NPP state president and Parliamentarian, WR Kharlukhi on Saturday asserted that the ongoing controversy over Centre possibly planning to rename India to Bharat is a political ploy to misguide the opposition, especially since the Lok Sabha elections are approaching nearer.
It may be recalled that the Rashtrapati Bhavan had recently sent out an invite for a G20 dinner in the name of “President of Bharat” instead of President of India, which set the cat among the pigeons.
People have started wondering if “India” will soon be officially called “Bharat”.
Kharlukhi, however, was nonchalant about this notion. He instead said such a move creating a political wave is common ahead of polls.
According to him, this is Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s game, who, he said, is a master of political strategies.
Elucidating his point further, Kharlukhi recalled that there recently was another political wave pertaining to the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) across the country. “…but nothing happened,” he asserted.
While Kharlukhi was clear that India Vs Bharat is a stratagem to misguide the opposition alliance, Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), some of the other political leaders were apprehensive that such a proposal may be made in the future by the BJP-led NDA government in the near future.
TMC state president Charles Pyngrope, who recently spoke to The Shillong Times, had questioned the necessity of changing the country’s name to Bharat. He asserted that the implications and repercussion which will follow will only add to problems for the country.
FKJGP president Dundee C Khongsit on the other hand said the BJP’s objective behind changing the name of the nation is purely political.
Speaking on similar lines, HYC president Robertjune Kharjahrin had said that status quo should be maintained by continuing to use the word India.
NPP’s spokesperson Bajop Pyngrope had earlier said that renaming India might affect other tribes and cultures in the country as it is a very diverse nation, and could backfire on the central government.