CHENNAI: MDMK general secretary Vaiko condemned the NCERT (National Council of Educational Research and Training) suggestion of replacing 'India' with 'Bharat' in school textbooks and urged the government not to consider the suggestion.

In a statement, the senior leader said that the 7-member committee formed by NCERT recommended changing the name of the country by citing Vishnu Purana. "If the union government decides to change the name, it requires the support of 66 per cent members of the parliament to make an amendment in the Constitution. But the BJP government does have this majority," he said.

He added that the BJP government is trying to bring 'Bharat' in practice without amending the Constitution. "Home minister Amit Shah has tabled Bills to change the names of Indian Penal Code, Criminal Procedure Code and Indian Evidence Act as Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and Bharatiya Sakshya Act respectively. In continuation with this, trying to change the name of the country is an abuse of power," he opined.