Congress wants Karnataka to go Kashmir way as Chief Minister Siddaramaiah demands a separate flag
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah who is scared of losing ground before the next Assembly polls, tries to play the regional card by pushing for a separate flag for the State. Siddaramaiah, who was silent all these years, has suddenly woken up and formed a committee to submit a report on giving it a legal sanctity.
Despite opposition from BJP and JD (S), Karnataka Chief Minister defended his action saying that there was no legal bar on states to have a separate flag. The State Government on June 6 constituted a nine-member committee to design a State flag as a symbol of identity and to unfurl it on its formation day on November 1. Siddaramaiah claimed that there was nothing wrong in having own identity even in the form of a separate flag. Already there is a separate Nada Geethe (State song) and what is wrong in having a separate State flag? he asked.
He set up a committee headed by Kannada and Culture Principal Secretary M Lakshminarayana as Chairman, with the Secretaries of Law, Home, Parliamentary Affairs and Personnel and Administrative Reforms Departments as members. Presidents of Kannada Sahitya Parishat (Literary Academy) and Kannada Development Authority, Hampi University Vice-Chancellor and Kannada and Culture Director are the other members of the panel. Defending his action, Siddaramaiah claimed that the committee was set up in response to a memorandum submitted by Kannada protagonists and pro-Kannada organisations for a common identity.
Meanwhile, the former BJP Minister said that Siddaramaiah was wrong as the flag code does not permit States to have their own flags as it is against the spirit of the country’s unity and integrity. BJP MLA Muniraju said that the Chief Minister was unnecessarily making controversies over the matter. The Constitution does not permit a separate flag for the State and everyone should respect the National Flag.
Another BJP leader Sanjeev Balyan said that Congress was stooping low on vote politics. According to him there were lot of problems in India due to Congress vote bank politics.
BJP Karnataka unit president BS Yeddyurappa said that though we feel that Karnataka issue should be given top priority, it doesn’t mean that any State should have a separate flag.
Union Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy also wondered at the mentioning of any State Flag as he knew about only the National Flag and cannot comprehend the Karnataka Government’s plan to have a separate Flag for the State. He said that every Indian agrees with one Constitution and one National Flag. The country cannot think of any other Flag.
Meanwhile, Ministry of Home Affairs made it clear that there was no provision in the Constitution for a separate flag for any State and the Tricolour is the only Flag of India.
An official said, “We are one nation with one flag. Legally there is no provision either for providing or prohibiting a separate flag for any state”. Home Ministry officials said Karnataka already has a Flag which represents only the people and not the Government. That flag is not used in national ceremonies like Republic Day or Independence Day but on occasions like State Foundation day, an official said.
Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut termed the move as against the nation’s integrity and sought imposition of President’s rule in the State. He said it was anti-constitutional for a State to make such a demand in a federal structure and was against the National integrity. Such a government should be immediately dissolved and President’s rule be imposed there.
— Guruprasad R
