Karnataka chief minister DK Shivakumar on Sunday reiterated the government’s commitment to declare yellow-and-red Kannada flag as the official state flag after some tweaks, underlining that the state would introduce a legal framework to enable it to be flown alongside the national flag on government and private buildings.
“Our flag should have a clear design, and there must be clear guidelines on where it should be hoisted. We will hold detailed discussions with legislators during the forthcoming Assembly session, gather public opinion, and take a final decision,” Shivakumar said after hoisting the national and Kannada flags at the 71st Kannada Rajyotsava celebrations at Kanteerava Stadium.
Shivakumar said the legal framework would cover hoisting government and private entities. He said the redesigned version of the state flag, which currently features yellow and red colours, would have an additional third colour and the state emblem at its centre.
In March 2018, the Siddaramaiah government designed a state flag ahead of the assembly elections, and sent it to the Centre for clearance. The proposed flag had yellow, white and red bands, with the state emblem ‘Gandaberunda’ (the two-headed mythological bird) at its centre.
The Congress lost the state election. The BS Yediyurappa-led Bharatiya Janata Party, which came to power in May 2018 abandoned the effort. In August 2019. Kannada and culture minister C T Ravi said Karnataka could retain a cultural flag but that his government would not pursue recognition of a separate official state flag.
{{/usCountry}}The Congress lost the state election. The BS Yediyurappa-led Bharatiya Janata Party, which came to power in May 2018 abandoned the effort. In August 2019. Kannada and culture minister C T Ravi said Karnataka could retain a cultural flag but that his government would not pursue recognition of a separate official state flag.
{{/usCountry}}To be sure, the Karnataka government has tried to make hoisting a state flag compulsory via a government communication. In 2012, the DV Sadananda Gowda government issued a circular making it compulsory to fly the Kannada flag on government buildings, schools and colleges but withdrew the instruction after Karnataka high court raised questions about its legality.
As deputy chief minister, Shivakumar also issued a similar call in October 2024 when he told educational institutions, factories, commercial establishments and private companies to hoist the Kannada flag on November 1 and organise cultural programmes. Institutions were also asked to submit photographs of their celebrations to the authorities. But there was no followup to the call to ensure enforcement.
To a question in the Lok Sabha whether whether there was a provision to allow or prohibit a separate flag for any state, the Union home ministry told the Lok Sabha that according to Article 51A (a) of the Constitution of India, it was the duty of every citizen of India to abide by the Constitution and respect its ideals and institutions, the National Flag and the National Anthem. “However, there is no reference in the Constitution of India for a separate flag for a State,” the home ministry said on January 2, 2018.