Virender Sehwag asks BCCI to ensure players have 'Bharat' on their chest

New Delhi: Former cricketer Virender Sehwag on Tuesday urged the BCCI to ensure players have Bharat on their chest in the 2023 World Cup.

"... I urge the @BCCI @JayShah to ensure that in this World Cup our players have Bharat on our chest ," the batting legend Xed.

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Team India nahin #TeamBharat.
This World Cup as we cheer for Kohli , Rohit , Bumrah, Jaddu , may we have Bharat in our hearts and the players wear jersey which has “Bharat” @JayShah . https://t.co/LWQjjTB98Z

— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) September 5, 2023 >

Sehwag made these comments after an invite for a G20 summit dinner with 'President of Bharat' inscribed on it fuelled talk of central government's plans to strike off the word "India" from Article 1 of the Indian Constitution. The Article reads: "India, that is Bharat, shall be a Union of States."

Sehwag further argued that Holland and Burma renamed their countries as Netherlands and Myanmar respectively.

"In the 1996 World Cup, Netherlands came to play in the World cup in Bharat as Holland. In 2003 when we met them, they were in the Netherlands & continue to be so," he said.

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In this video from 2014, a wonderful explanation by @SadhguruJV on the science behind the name, and importance of calling our country Bharat.

The country getting renamed Bharat will happen through Parliament, but this World Cup our Team must play with the name “Bharat” @JayShah pic.twitter.com/h7vTW88whB

— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) September 5, 2023 >a

Sehwag said India is the name given by the British and it has been long overdue to be called officially as Bharat. "I have always believed a name should be one which instills pride in us. We are Bhartiyas, India is a name given by the British & it has been long overdue to get our original name ‘Bharat’ back officially ...," he said.

“So the news is indeed true. Rashtrapati Bhawan has sent out an invite for a G20 dinner on Sept 9 in the name of 'President of Bharat' instead of the usual 'President of India' (sic),” Ramesh tweeted.

Meanwhile, Congress Spokesperson Jairam Ramesh took a dig at the invitation mentioning Bharat and Xed, "Now, Article 1 in the Constitution can read: 'Bharat, that was India, shall be a Union of States.' But now even this 'Union of States' is under assault."

"Mr Modi can continue to distort history and divide India, that is Bharat, that is a Union of States. But we will not be deterred," he added.

Reacting to it, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma shared a post that said "Republic of Bharat".

"Republic of Bharat- happy and proud that our civilisation is marching ahead boldly towards Amrit Kaal," Sarma said.

The BJP leader later took a dig at Jairam Ramesh, saying "Now my apprehension has proven to be true", accusing the Congress of "having an aversion towards Bharat".

"Now my apprehension has proven to be true. The Congress party seems to have a strong aversion towards Bharat. It appears that the name 'I.N.D.I A. alliance' was intentionally chosen with the aim of defeating BHARAT," Sarma tweeted. (UNI)