Congress Wants Karnataka To Go Kashmir Way, Wants Separate Flag

The Karnataka government has formed a nine-member committee to submit a report on designing a separate flag for the state and providing a legal standing for it, with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah defending the move saying there is no constitutional provision against it.

If the flag comes into being, Karnataka will be the second state to have its official flag after Jammu and Kashmir, which enjoys a special status under Article 370 of the Constitution.

The committee, headed by the principal secretary, Department of Kannada and Culture, was set up last month after a representation from noted Kannada writer and journalist Patil Puttappa, and social worker Bheemappa Gundappa Gadada. The Director of Department of Kannada and Culture will be the member secretary to the committee.

Asked about the panel by reporters, Siddaramaiah sought to know if there was any provision in the Constitution which prohibits the state from having its own flag. "Is there any provision in the Constitution? Have you come across any provision in the Constitution?" he asked.