Bharat vs INDIA row: Mayawati urges SC to take cognizance of 'shallow politics'

Lucknow: Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati on Wednesday urged the Supreme Court to take suo motu cognizance of "shallow politics" being done on 'Bharat' and 'INDIA' and demanded a ban on all political bodies formed in the name of the country.

Addressing a press conference here, Mayawati said, "Supreme Court should take suo motu cognizance of the shallow politics being done on 'Bharat' and 'INDIA' and ban all organisations, parties, and alliances formed in the name of the country."

The leader made the remark without clarifying whether she wanted a ban on bodies formed with 'India' or 'Bharat' in their names.

"Bharat that is India is a well-known and dignified constitutional name. The people of our country, belonging to all castes and religions, have immense love and respect for the sacred humanitarian and public welfare Constitution of Baba Saheb Bhimrao Ambedkar, and it is highly inappropriate to play with their sentiments by changing and tampering with them," she said.

"The truth is that the opposition itself has given the BJP an opportunity to tamper with the Constitution... as part of a well-thought-out strategy and conspiracy, by naming its alliance INDIA. Or ... all of this maybe happening with the ruling party and the opposition in cahoots," said the Dalit leader.

Mayawati said the "reprehensible game" of politics which is being played ahead of the general election due next year is not lost on people.

She said the more important issues of poverty, inflation, unemployment, and development are being sidelined.

"Therefore, it is completely right and in public interest for our party to maintain distance from both these casteist, communal and capitalist alliances," she added.

A G20 invitation bearing the phrase 'President of Bharat' widely shared on social media led to a storm of reactions on Tuesday with the opposition claiming that the move betrayed BJP's fear of the INDIA bloc.

The ruling party countered the claim asserting there was nothing wrong in using Bharat as it is part of the Constitution.

BSP has not aligned itself either with the NDA or opposition alliance INDIA.

The Dalit-centric party has 10 MPs in Lok Sabha and a handful of MLAs in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Uttrakhand.