BENGALURU: The state government has decided to have a separate flag for the state. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is now seeking the Centre’s approval to get constitutional sanctity for it. With this move, Siddaramaiah is looking to invoke the pride of Kannadigas ahead of the assembly election.
Siddaramaiah unveiled the proposed tricolour flag on Thursday.
It has horizontal stripes in yellow, white and red with the state emblem of ‘Gandabherunda’ in the middle in blue colour — as suggested by the flag committee headed by the Kannada and Culture department secretary.
The state cabinet, which approved the decision to have a separate state flag, had authorised Siddaramaiah to evolve a consensus on its design. He met the leaders of pro-Kannada outfits, litterateurs and intellectuals on Thursday in this regard and they unanimously approved the flag.
The flag with yellow at the top, white in the middle and red at the bottom stands for the spirit and values represented by the people of Karnataka. While yellow is reflective of harmony, white stands for peace and the red denotes courage.
Siddaramaiah said he would soon write to the Union government seeking its approval.
If approved by the Centre, Karnataka will be the second state in the country, after J&K, to have its own state flag.
On the legal sanctity for the flag, CM said the Constitution does not bar any state from having its own state flag.