The issue of Karnataka having a state flag has sparked a huge debate and the Congress party, on Monday, lashed out against BJP’s opposition to the state flag.
Slamming the BJP for calling it an election gimmick, Congress leader, Dinesh Gundu Rao, on Tuesday, accused the BJP of wanting to have a uniform country.
“Opposition for the Karnataka flag is only coming from the BJP. They are Hindi-centric and want to impose it on the entire country. They want a uniform country and do not respect diversity,” Dinesh Gundu Rao said.
The Congress leader went on to say that the proposal to have a separate flag for the state in no way means that the Congress party wants to disrespect the national flag.
Although several Congress leaders, including Shashi Tharoor, said that they have no objection to Karnataka having a state flag, the BJP, in reaction to Gundu Rao’s statement, demanded that Congress supremo, Sonia Gandhi, make her stand clear on the issue.
“There is such a big controversy about the state flag issue and Sonia Gandhi has not spoken up. She must make her position on the issue clear. Once she does, then it will become evident if there is a difference of opinion within the Congress party. It (Congress) cannot take one stand in Karnataka and another in New Delhi. Hypocrisy will not be tolerated and we won’t allow it,” BJP leader GVL Narasimha Rao told media persons.
Slamming the Siddaramaiah government, Rao said that it has failed on all fronts of governance even after being in power for four and a half years, “Siddaramaiah is now diverting public attention from his misgovernance,” he added.
“The CM’s misgovernance is not going to go away. People of Karnataka will ensure that he is defeated in the upcoming elections,” he said.
Stating that the BJP-government, despite its opposition, will give in to the demand of having a state flag, Shiv Sena leader, Uddhav Thackeray said that the “Modi government will not take any tough action against Karnataka as it wants to win the upcoming elections.
On July 18, the Karnataka government formed a nine-member committee to submit a report on the possibility of designing a separate flag for the state.
The committee was formed after a representation was submitted to the state government by President of Karnataka Vidyavardhaka Sangha, Patil Puttappa and social worker Bheemappa Gundappa Gadada.
They had urged the government to design a separate flag for 'Kannada naadu'.
Despite severe opposition, Siddaramaiah and even the state’s Law Minister TB Jayachandra have defended the demand for a separate flag, stating that there is no provision in the Constitution that prohibits the state from doing so.