Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday said having a separate flag for Karnataka will not amount to anti-national and certainly an embarrassment to the tricolor.
Speaking with media persons after felicitating meritorious students who passed the KPSC exams with flying colours, the chief minister said the leaders of Opposition parties (BJP and JD-S) are simply politicizing the flag issue. “I have a faith in federal system of the country. Having a separate flag for Karnataka will not be an anti-national initiative,’’ the chief minister said.
Stating that there is no provision in the Constitution that prohibits the state from having its own flag, he said the state has its own anthem which is being sung at all government functions. “Does it affected national anthem?’’ he asked.
The chief minister said a nine-member committee has been constituted under the guidance of senior writer and journalist Patil Puttappa and it is yet to submit its report on having separate flag for Karnataka. “Let the committee submits the report. We will take a decision after discussing it thoroughly,’’ he said.
He denies the allegations of Opposition parties that government has raked up Kannada flag issue just to cover up the rampant corruption at Parappana Agrahara Central Prison. “There is no need for me to indulge in such politics,’’ he said.
Expressing displeasure over the BJP organising protest rallies against transfer of police officers, he said it is the discretion of the government to transfer the officers as per the needs of the administration. “BJP leaders are unnecessarily involving in this issue,’’ he said.
