State Bureau, Patna: Rajya Sabha member Sushil Modi criticized the opposition alliance for opposing not only Prime Minister Narendra Modi but also India, Sanatan Dharma, and Hindu culture. He highlighted that India has been the name of the country for centuries, while the name “India” was given by the British. Sushil Modi argued that opposing the name “India” is a part of the deep-rooted politics against Sanatan Dharma and Hindu culture.
Sushil Modi stated that the constitution was originally written in English, using both the words Bharat and India. He noted that no country in the world has two names and the name does not translate. He emphasized that if India has been referred to as “India” in English for the past 75 years, it should not be considered incorrect. He suggested that if the opposition wants to chant “India Mata Ki Jai” instead of “Bharat Mata Ki Jai,” they are free to do so.
According to Sushil Modi, the country was named Bharat after the Chakravarti King Bharat, and even in mythological texts, the land is referred to as Bharat. He expressed discomfort in writing “India” in the invitation letter of Rashtrapati Bhavan.
In response to Sushil Modi’s statements, Senior JD (U) leader and Finance Minister in Bihar government Vijay Kumar Chaudhary accused the BJP of creating controversy over Sanatan Dharma and the name of India-Bharat. He criticized the BJP leaders for making a national controversy out of a foolish statement about destroying Sanatan Dharma. Vijay Chowdhary emphasized that no religion can be destroyed, and hurting the feelings of followers of other religions goes against one’s own religion.
Regarding the dispute over renaming India as Bharat, Vijay Chowdhary pointed out that the constitution has adopted both names in its first article. He argued that disrespecting the constitution due to political likes and dislikes is unacceptable. He also highlighted that BJP leaders had no role in the freedom struggle or the making of the constitution, which may explain their lack of sensitivity towards such matters.
