The Karnataka High Court dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking recognition of a separate flag for Karnataka on Friday, citing that the issue did not fall within the court’s jurisdiction for public interest cases. The petition, long supported by certain factions in Karnataka, faced continued legal obstacles despite public backing in some quarters.
Chief Justice N.V. Anjaria and Justice K.V. Aravind, presiding over the division bench, deemed the PIL as “misconceived” and outside the court’s jurisdiction, particularly within the scope of public interest. “Matters of grievance of such nature would hardly fall within the domain of the court jurisdiction, much less in the realm of public interest jurisdiction,” observed the bench.
Representing the petitioner, Advocate Umapathi S. argued that the Constitution of India does not expressly prohibit states from having their own flags, noting that an expert committee was constituted to explore this possibility. The advocate highlighted that the push for a Karnataka flag was well-supported within the state, where an unofficial flag has already gained some visibility. According to him, this unofficial flag has led to confusion among citizens, thereby substantiating the need for an official state flag.
The court, however, maintained that the petitioner is entitled to pursue other representations through alternative channels, dismissing the plea on the grounds that it did not warrant judicial intervention.
The demand for a Karnataka state flag gained momentum in 2017 when then Chief Minister Siddaramaiah appointed a nine-member panel to explore a legal framework for the formal adoption of a state flag. Led by G.S. Siddaramaya, Principal Secretary of the Department of Kannada and Culture, the committee included scholars, historians, and writers. The panel subsequently proposed a tricolored design featuring the Karnataka emblem in the center, which was unveiled by Siddaramaiah on March 8, 2018.
Following the design’s release, a proposal to include the flag under the Emblems and Names (Prevention of Misuse) Act, 1950, was submitted to the Union Government. However, the proposal faced resistance from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and other parties, stalling its advancement.
Subsequent governments, led by H.D. Kumaraswamy and B.S. Yediyurappa, did not pursue the flag proposal further, leaving the matter unresolved at the central level.
