Ahead of polls Sidda unveils proposed Karnataka flag

Bengaluru: Flag-ging off the “Kannadiga pride” ahead of the Assembly polls, chief minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday unveiled the proposed official state flag for Karnataka.

The “Naada Dwaja (state’s flag)” in hues of yellow, white and red, has the state’s emblem “Gandaberunda” or the two-headed mythological bird, at its centre.

A committee formed by the state government last year had recommended the separate flag for Karnataka, discounting any constitutional or legal hurdles for it.

Mr Siddaramaiah unve-iled the flag after chairing a meeting of pro-Kannada organisations, activists and literary personalities, where they unanimously approved the design.

It was decided to have a flag for the state as a symbol of pride of Kannada speaking people, he said, adding “it was the intention, opinion and voice of Kannadigas.”

“We have done it today. All (Kannada organisations) have given their approval for it,” he said.

Calling the state flag a “sign of Kannadiga pride” and a “historic decision”, he said it would be sent to the central government for approval. Pointing out that the state cannot declare its flag by itself and it requires approval from the Centre, Mr Siddaramaiah said, “So we will immediately send it to the Central government. We will also try and impress upon the Centre to give its approval”.

Asked whether the Cen-tre will give its approval, he said “the Constitution does not say that the state should not have its flag, so I believe they will agree.

As a country has a flag, in the same way in a federal system, there is no bar in the constitution for the state to have its own flag, he said.

Also in the federal system the national flag is always supreme and will be above the state flag, he added.

A nine-member committee formed by the government had submitted its report on designing a separate flag for the state and providing a legal standing for it on February 5.