Karnataka: Congress questions BJP's 'silence' on proposed state flag

BENGALURU: The ruling Congress on Friday questioned the BJP's "silence" on the proposed official state flag for Karnataka, a day after it was unveiled by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah ahead of the assembly polls.

It also asked whether BJP MPs, including the state party chief B S Yeddyurappa, will put pressure on the Centre in getting necessary approval for the flag."Lacking in #KannadaSwabhimana, @BJP4Karnataka maintains pindrop silence on #KarnatakaStateFlag," the Congress' Karnataka unit said in a tweet.

"Will BJP MPs and Shri Yeddyurappa put pressure on the Union BJP Government to quickly grant the necessary approvals?," it asked.The 'Naada Dwaja' (state's flag) in hues of yellow, white and red, has the state's emblem 'Gandaberunda' or the two-headed mythological bird that was also the royal insignia of the erstwhile Mysuru kingdom, at its centre.

In the tricolour flag, yellow represents wealth and celebration, white represents peace and stability, and red represents valour and pride.

Calling the state flag a "sign of Kannadiga pride", Siddaramaiah had yesterday said it would be sent to the central government for approval. 

A committee formed by the state government last year had recommended the separate flag for Karnataka, discounting any constitutional or legal hurdles for it.Yeddyurappa has said his party was not opposed to a separate state flag, but had flayed Siddaramaiah's "unilateral decision" to form a panel on the issue without consulting the opposition leaders.

BJP had earlier accused Siddaramaiah of politicising the issue ahead of assembly polls in the state, due in April/May.

The government's move to form the panel had also drawn criticism from some quarters, with some comparing it to Jammu and Kashmir, which enjoys a special status under Article 370 of the Constitution.