Amitabh Bachchan (left) and Virender Sehwag (right).
Credit: PTI Photos
Even as furore has erupted over a possible renaming of India to Bharat, celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan and Virender Sehwag have weighed in on the matter.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter) Big B posted "Bharat mata ki jai" attaching an icon of the nation's flag with his post. The timing of the entire thing has been interpreted as the actor's apparent support for the rumoured name change.
Cricket star Virender Sehwag has also pushed for the name 'Bharat' in much more certain terms, saying "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'."
He addressed the post to BCCI President and Amit Shah's son Jay Shah.
Sehwag however said that he was not "interested in politics" when an individual on X reacted to his post and said he should have become an MP before Gautam Gambhir.
"I am not at all interested in politics. Have been approached by both major parties in the last two elections. My view is that most entertainers or sportsman should not enter politics as most are their for their own ego and hunger for power and barely spare genuine time for people, few are exceptions but generally most only do PR. I love being involved with cricket and commentating and being a part time MP whenever convenient is not something I ever aspire for", he said.
Earlier today, Congress's Jairam Ramesh claimed that G20 invites had gone out from the "President of Bharat" adding fuel to the fire about a possible name change.
This comes as the Opposition has solidified their unified approach through the I.N.D.I.A bloc.
While AAP's Arvind Kejriwal, a member of the bloc, asked whether BJP would change the country's name back to India if the bloc renamed itself Bharat, Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar lashed out at the Congress saying the country was and always will be Bharat.
"They have a problem with everything and I do not want to say anything for them. I am a 'Bharatwaasi', the name of my country was 'Bharat' and will remain 'Bharat' always. If Congress has a problem with this, they should find a cure for it themselves", he said.
"The word 'India' is an abuse given to us by the British whereas the word 'Bharat' is a symbol of our culture...I want there should be a change in our Constitution and the word 'Bharat' should be added to it" ANI quoted the minister as saying.