The Karnataka Government has constituted a nine-member committee to submit a report to the state government on the possibility of designing a separate flag for the state.

If a flag comes into being, Karnataka will be the second state in the country to have a flag of its own, after Jammu and Kashmir, which enjoys special status under Article 370 of the Constitution.

Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah told ANI, "Is there any provision in the Constitution that prohibits a state from having a flag? It has nothing to do with elections. If the BJP is opposed to it then can they say openly that they are against a state flag."

Journalist-writer and president of Karnataka Vidyavardhaka Sangha, Dharward, Patil Puttappa and social worker Bheemappa Gundappa Gadada had submitted a representation to the government, following which the committee was constituted.

They had urged the government to design a separate flag for Kannada 'naadu' and accord statutory standing for that.  -- ANI