Akhilesh criticises BJP for ‘Bharat’ usage, asks to change ‘party’ in its name first

File picture of Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav
| Photo Credit: PTI

Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday targeted the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for using ‘Bharat’, instead of India, and said if the narrow-minded BJP want to change the word for being a symbol of slavery, then at the outset, the saffron party should call a Special Session of its party and must remove the English word ‘Party’ from its name and use the word ‘Dal’ which is indigenous.

“If the narrow-minded BJP and its allies want to change the word of a language for being a symbol of slavery, then first of all, the BJP should also call a Special Session of its own, remove the English word ‘Party’ from its name, and use the word ‘Dal’ which is of indigenous tradition. They should change its name from BJP to BJD,” wrote Mr. Yadav on the X platform (formerly Twitter).

Mr. Yadav’s criticism comes in the wake of a G-20 invitation bearing the phrase ‘President of Bharat’ instead of the usual ‘President of India’. The opposition parties claimed that the move highlights BJP’s fear of the newly formed opposition bloc Indian National Developmental, Inclusive Alliance (INDIA).