Govt says no legal hurdle on state flag

Unfazed by criticism from many quarters, the State government on Wednesday stuck to its stand that the state can have a separate flag and argued  that there is no legal hurdle.

Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister T B Jayachandra said the government would not face any legal problem in according legal status to the state flag.

“There are three central laws pertaining to flags – the Flag Code of India, Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, Emblems and Names (Prevention of Improper Use) Act, 1950. However, all the three laws are confined to the national flag...These laws do not prevent states from having their own flags,” Jayachandra told reporters.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said the country’s Constitution does not say that the states cannot have their own flags. The government has no intention to lower the dignity of the national flag.

“The plan is to hoist the state flag below the national flag...Has the dignity of the national anthem  diminished just because we have our own ‘nada geete’ (state song)?” he asked.

He accused Opposition parties of trying to politicise his government’s move to explore the possibility of having a separate state flag.

The BJP and the JD(S) did not take any action in this regard (for separate state flag) when they were in power. They are now raising objection. It looks like Opposition parties have not been able to digest the achievements of the government,” he said.

He denied that the government formed the committee to look into the demand for separate flag with an eye on the next assembly election, adding that the polls were nine months away.