A magnitude 6 earthquake hit the New Guinea, Papua New Guinea region on Tuesday evening, UAE time, according to the German Research Center for Geosciences (GFZ).
The quake occurred at a depth of 10km (6.2 miles), as reported by GFZ.
On Tuesday, leaders from the ruling front and the opposition engaged in a heated dispute, with each side accusing the other of attempting to exploit the situation. The Congress party, a part of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), representing numerous parties, criticized the government for inviting Droupadi Murmu, referred to as the ‘President of Bharat,’ suggesting that it showed the government’s fear of the new alliance.
Jairam Ramesh, the Congress general secretary, stated, “Modi can continue to distort history and divide India, that is Bharat, that is a Union of States. But we will not be deterred. After all, what is the objective of INDIA parties? It is BHARAT Bring Harmony, Amity, Reconciliation And Trust. Judega BHARAT Jeetega INDIA!” He emphasized that the BJP introduced initiatives like Digital India, Start Up India, New India, etc., to which the Congress responded with the Bharat Jodo Yatra, celebrating its first anniversary in two days.
Other opposition leaders, including Mamata Banerjee, Siddaramaiah, Sharad Pawar, M.K. Stalin, Mehbooba Mufti, and Arvind Kejriwal, also criticized the BJP for using ‘Bharat’ instead of ‘India.’ Banerjee questioned the need for a name change, as the world already knows the country as India.
Shashi Tharoor pointed out that while there’s no constitutional issue with calling India “Bharat,” both names should be used to preserve the historical significance and global recognition of “India.”Kejriwal raised the question of what would happen if the INDIA bloc decided to change its name to Bharat, prompting a potential change in the country’s name.
Sharad Pawar couldn’t understand why the ruling party was bothered by a name associated with the country, and K.C. Venugopal accused the BJP of creating divisions between Indians and Bharatiyas.
In defense, BJP leaders and ministers applauded the president’s use of ‘Bharat’ on the official G20 invitation, emphasizing its significance and breaking away from a colonial mindset.
Ultimately, the debate surrounding the country’s name continued to be a point of contention, with various perspectives expressed within the political landscape and even extending to public figures like Amitabh Bachchan.