New Delhi:

The United Nations “will change India’s name to Bharat in UN records” when New Delhi completes all of the formalities for a similar, a spokesperson for the worldwide physique informed NDTV as we speak. “When India completes the formalities to change the name, they will inform us and we will change the name at the UN (records),” United Nations Secretary General’s chief spokesperson Stephane Dujarric stated.

The assertion comes days after an enormous controversy broke out over the shift to India from Bharat within the dinner invitation from President Droupadi Murmu to overseas leaders attending the G20 summit this weekend.

“It’s not for the UN to comment on the debate,” Mr Dujarric, who was talking on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Delhi, stated.

“As long as the formalities are done, the UN will change the name too. It’s a bureaucratic issue when it comes to what the UN needs to do,” he added.

India won’t be the primary nation if, in any respect, the title change occurs. There’s a protracted listing of nations which have modified their names because of political, social, or different causes.

The UN high official additionally cited the instance of Turkey altering its title to Turkiye final 12 months and stated “history has shown that it has happened a number of times for several countries”.

The Opposition has accused the Centre of planning to drop India and stick with simply Bharat because the nation’s title. Several ministers and BJP leaders have stated there needn’t be any controversy as ‘Bharat’ has been “in use from time immemorial”.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi not too long ago spoke on the problem throughout his interplay with the Union Council of Ministers wherein he laid down the dos and don’ts to be noticed by them throughout the upcoming G20 summit. He informed his ministerial colleagues to keep away from the political row across the Bharat challenge, noting that it has been the nation’s historic title.

The spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General additionally stated that India’s presidency comes at a “very critical time”.

“The presidency comes at a very critical time. India is a leading voice in the Global South. India is also a bridge builder politically, and geographically and the theme for this G20 ‘One Earth, One Planet’ is exactly what we need this time,” Mr Dujarric stated.

The G20 Summit is being held in Delhi on September 9 and 10 below India’s presidency and a number of other heads of state from the world over, together with US President Joe Biden, are attending the occasion.