A senior United Nations official has clarified that the UN considers requests from countries to change their names when such requests are submitted. This statement comes amid a controversy surrounding President Droupadi Murmu's G20 dinner invitations, which referred to her as the 'President of Bharat' instead of 'President of India.'
Farhan Haq, the Deputy Spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, offered an example of Turkey changing its name to Turkey last year to illustrate the UN's approach to such requests.
"In the case of Turkiye, we responded to a formal request delivered to us by the Government. Obviously, if we get requests like that, we consider them as they come," Haq stated in response to queries regarding the possibility of India changing its name to Bharat.
The controversy in India arose when invitations to a G20 dinner were issued by President Murmu, using the title 'President of Bharat' instead of the traditional 'President of India.' This led to allegations from the opposition that the Narendra Modi government intended to drop the name 'India' and exclusively adopt 'Bharat' as the country's name.
Prime Minister Modi, addressing the issue during an interaction with the Union Council of Ministers, advised them to avoid getting embroiled in the political dispute over the term 'Bharat.' He emphasized that 'Bharat' has been the country's ancient name.
During the interaction, Modi outlined guidelines for the ministers to follow during the upcoming G20 summit. He urged them to remain in the national capital during the event and fulfill any responsibilities assigned to them to ensure the visiting dignitaries' convenience.
The G20 Summit, held under India's presidency, is scheduled to take place in New Delhi on September 9 and 10, with numerous heads of state from around the world in attendance, including US President Joe Biden.
