PUDUCHERRY: Amidst speculations of an official name change of the country from India to Bharat, Puducherry Lieutenant Governor Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan and Chief Minister N Rangasamy voiced their support for the reported move by the central government. They said there is nothing wrong with embracing the country's ancient name.
The remarks came in response to opposition politicians slamming the government for mentioning 'The President of Bharat’ instead of 'The President of India' in the official invitation for the G20 dinner. Additionally, reports suggest the Centre is considering the introduction of a bill in the upcoming parliamentary session to officially rename India as Bharat.
Tamilisai, while speaking to reporters on Tuesday, emphasised the historical significance of the name 'Bharat.' She drew attention to the renowned Tamil poet Bharathiar, who often referred to the nation as "Bharatha Desam" in his writings. She also drew parallels to the renaming of cities such as Chennai and Mumbai, by shedding their colonial names.
The CM, who also joined in the discussion, echoed the L-G's sentiments and welcomed the proposed renaming. Additionally, both of them also marked their support for the idea of "One Nation, One Election". Responding to the remarks made by Tamil Nadu Sports Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin on the 2002 Gujarat riots and the recent Manipur violence, Tamilisai said the DMK had no right to comment on these subjects.
She accused the party of failing to take effective action during the ethnic violence in Sri Lanka, when it shared power with the Congress. She said, "The DMK could only enact resignation dramas and half-day fasts when Sri Lankan Tamils were getting killed in the violence. The party did nothing to stop the genocide."
On Udhayanidhi's statements about Sanatana Dharma, the L-G accused him of offending the sentiments of the Hindu community. She further said the minister, without a deep understanding of Hinduism, was attempting to equate the religion with fascism.