(MENAFN- IANS) Bengaluru, July 19 (IANS) Karnataka's Minister for Kannada and Culture, Shivaraj S. Tangadagi, said on Saturday he has written to the Central government seeking official recognition for the Kannada flag.

He also announced plans to lead a delegation to New Delhi to meet Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat to press the demand.

He said to the media, "The present Karnataka flag is not official. We will urge the central government to grant it official status as the state flag. Union Ministers Pralhad Joshi and Shobha Karandlaje, both from Karnataka and known for advocating Kannada language, should take the initiative in securing approval for the flag."

The minister added that the delegation would leave for Delhi soon.

The Minister clarified that in the letter, he had clearly written that the Kannada flag would be hoisted below the national tricolor. "We have also pointed out that there is no bar in the Indian Constitution for having a separate state flag. The state flag reflects the culture, emotions, and identity of the people," he said.

Expressing disappointment over the allocation of funds for the Kannada language, the Minister remarked, "The classical language status granted to Kannada has become a token gesture. The funds allocated to Kannada are meagre compared to Tamil. We will urge the Centre to release sufficient funds for the growth and promotion of the Kannada language."

The Karnataka government, under Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, had earlier approved a proposal for a state flag designed by a nine-member committee set up by the Department of Kannada and Culture. The proposal was first sent to the Centre in 2017 during the final phase of the previous Congress government.

Meanwhile, the BJP has criticized the government's renewed push for the Kannada flag. Leader of the Opposition, R. Ashoka, alleged that the issue has been raised to divert public attention from what he described as the government's failure to deliver on development.

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