Bengaluru, Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Sunday said the state government was committed to granting official state flag status to the yellow and red Kannada flag and would bring in a legal framework to ensure it is hoisted alongside the national flag on government buildings.
Addressing a gathering on the occasion of Karnataka Rajyotsava, the state formation day, he said the government would discuss the matter during the forthcoming Belagavi legislature session.
"Just now, you have witnessed the national flag being hoisted. Beside that national flag, I have just hoisted the Kannada flag. The government has already held discussions on granting official state flag status to this Kannada flag," Shivakumar said.
"Earlier, we had also taken a decision in the Cabinet and submitted a request to the Union government, but we did not receive recognition for it," he said.
Stating that his government was committed to taking the matter forward, the CM said that he will bring up the matter for discussion during the Belagavi legislature session.
"I will bring this up for discussion, take a decision in the Cabinet and introduce a legal framework. My government is committed to taking an official decision to ensure that this Kannada flag is hoisted alongside the national flag on every building where the national flag is hoisted," he added.
{{/usCountry}}"I will bring this up for discussion, take a decision in the Cabinet and introduce a legal framework. My government is committed to taking an official decision to ensure that this Kannada flag is hoisted alongside the national flag on every building where the national flag is hoisted," he added.
{{/usCountry}}Shivakumar asserted that the government's aspiration was to have an official state flag representing the self-respect of Kannadigas, just as the state has its own anthem.
"Just as there is a state anthem dedicated to mother Karnataka, the daughter of Mother India, our aspiration is to have an official state flag that represents the self-respect of Kannadigas," he said. The yellow and red flag had already become a symbol of the sentiments of Kannadigas.
"We are considering granting official recognition and state flag status to this flag, which conveys Karnataka's knowledge tradition, culture, religious harmony and peace," he said.
The state flag would further enhance Karnataka's identity within India's federal framework.
The winter session of the Legislative Assembly will start at the Suvarna Soudha in Belagavi on November 30 and go on till December 11.
Earlier, Shivakumar hoisted the national and Kannada flags here to mark the 71st Karnataka Rajyotsava, at a celebration event organised by the Department of School Education and Literacy.
He also reviewed the march past and took the salute from contingents of students from various schools.
Shivakumar offered floral tributes to the statue of Goddess Bhuvaneshwari on the Vidhana Soudha premises, on the occasion of Rajyotsava. Minister Madhu Bangarappa, Chief Secretary Dr Shalini Rajneesh and other officials were present.
Karnataka Rajyotsava is celebrated each year on November 1st. It marks the state's formation, unifying Kannada-speaking regions under one banner in 1956 coinciding with the reorganisation of states on linguistic basis.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.