Bengaluru: Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Sunday called for official recognition of Karnataka’s state flag, urging people to send a united message to the Centre. He said the state flag should fly below the national flag.
Speaking at the 2026 Karnataka Rajyotsava Awards ceremony at Ravindra Kalakshetra, Shivakumar said the Constitution did not prohibit states from having their own flags.
Highlighting Karnataka’s economic contribution, he said the state accounted for 5.5% of India’s population but contributed 9.19% to the national economy.
Shivakumar also called for greater use of Kannada, citing the 2011 Census, which showed that 44.5% of Bengaluru residents considered Kannada their mother tongue, while 107 languages were spoken in the city.
He urged private companies, IT firms and industries to prioritise Kannadigas in employment. “Let other languages be guests, but Kannada should be the master,” he said, adding that promoting Kannada did not mean disrespecting other languages.
He also called for Kannada to evolve as a language of artificial intelligence, science, startups and digital technology.
Congratulating the 71 Rajyotsava award recipients, Shivakumar said their contributions had brought pride to Karnataka and would inspire future generations.