A committee formed by the Karnataka government has recommended a separate flag for the state, discounting any constitutional or legal hurdles for it. The nine-member committee submitted its report on designing a separate flag for the state and providing a legal standing for it. "We have submitted our report yesterday. If there wereany constitutional or legal hurdles we would have not submitted the report at all," a member of the committee, who did not wish to be named, told PTI. Responding to a question about the look of the flag, he said it will be a tricolour yellow, white and red, with thestate's emblem at the centre. "The flag that we unofficially use now yellow and red,is the flag of a political party.
It cannot be used, hence wehad to change," the member said. "We have suggested a tricolour flag with white colour at the middle of yellow and red flag. It will also havestate's emblem at the centre," he said. The committee, headed by the principal secretary, Department of Kannada and Culture, was set up in June last year after a representation from noted Kannada writer and journalist Patil Puttappa, and social worker Bheemappa Gundappa Gadada. Puttappa and Gadada in their representation had requested the government to design a separate flag for 'Kannada Naadu' and accord it legal standing. The panel comprises secretaries to the departments of Personnel and Administrative Services, Home, Law and Parliamentary Affairs, as also president of Kannada Sahitya Parishat, chairman of Kannada Development Authority, and vice-chancellor of Kannada University, Hampi, as its members. The Director of Department of Kannada and Culture is the member secretary to the committee. The unofficial but widely regarded yellow and red 'Kannada flag' that is hoisted in the state on November one every year to commemorate state formation day and used in the form of a scarf by Kannada activists, was designed by Veera Senani Ma. Ramamurthy in the1960s. As the government's move to form the panel drew criticism from some quarters including BJP, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had earlier defended it saying there is no constitutional provision against having a separate flag for the state. "Is there any provision in the Constitution? Have you come across any provision in the Constitution? Did BJP people come across the provision? Then why they are raising?" he had questioned.
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