Amid India vs Bharat Row, Blue Dart Makes Surprise Renaming Announcement

The logistics company Blue Dart has rebranded one of its premium service in India from Dart Plus to Bharat Dart. "This strategic transformation marks a milestone in Blue Dart's ongoing journey, underscoring its unwavering commitment to serving the diverse needs of Bharat," Blue Dart said in a company filing today.

Explaining the decision, Blue Dart said that the move to rename one of its service to Bharat Dart stems from an extensive discovery and research process.

"Blue Dart Express Limited invites all stakeholders to join on this transformative journey as the company continues to connect Bharat to the world and the world to Bharat," the statement said.

Blue Dart Managing Director, Balfour Manuel, says, "This rebranding represents an exciting transformation for us as we continue to serve the length and breadth of the country."

The announcement comes just days after the President Droupadi Murmu's invitation to G20 leaders carrying Bharat instead of India sparked a huge political row.

There was also speculation that the special session of Parliament, which starts on September 18, is aimed at formalising this push to rename India as Bharat.

"Bharat" was also used on the name plate in front of Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his address at the G20 Summit. 

The move drew scathing criticism from the Opposition. The members of the Opposition INDIA bloc accused the Narendra Modi government of "distorting history and dividing India".

They linked the government move to the formation of their alliance. AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal asked whether the ruling party would change the country's name to 'BJP' if the opposition alliance decided to call itself "Bharat".