Karnataka: I don't see any issue in states having their flags, says Shashi Tharoor

Bengaluru: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Sunday asserted that there should be no brouhaha over states having their own flags.

"So as long as there are set rules for it I don't see any issue in states having their flags," Tharoor said in Bengaluru in an address.

"There should be clear rules that flag of states cannot be substitute of a national flag and it should be smaller and fly lower," he added.

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

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.

Earlier on Tuesday, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah defended the demand for a separate flag for the state, asking if there is any provision in the Constitution that prohibits the state from having its own flag.