INDI Bloc Allies In Karnataka, Tamil Nadu Divided On Kamal Haasan's Kannada Remark
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Kamal Haasan's claim that Kannada originated from Tamil sparked political reactions. Karnataka leaders condemned it, demanding an apology, while Tamil Nadu's DMK supported him.
The neighbouring states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, which have been fighting for decades over the Cauvery water, are now at odds over a fresh issue: language. Actor Kamal Haasan's recent remark that Kannada was born out of Tamil has elicited a wave of political reactions, revealing contrasting positions within the INDI bloc.
In Karnataka, Congress leaders have strongly condemned Haasan's statement and demanded his apology. Meanwhile, in Tamil Nadu, the ruling DMK has backed Haasan, maintaining that there is nothing objectionable in his comment.
While there is no direct clash between the two state governments, the divergent responses underscore the linguistic sensitivities in the region — even within politically allied parties.
The controversy surfaced ahead of the release of Haasan's film 'Thug Life". The movie will not be released in Karnataka for now as the actor has refused to apologise for his remark.
What Karnataka Leaders Said
Amid the controversy, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah referred to the actor as 'poor Kamal Haasan" and said he is unaware of Kannada's long-standing history.
Karnataka Minister Eshwara Khandre also condemned the statement of Kamal Haasan.
Karnataka minister Santosh Lad also echoed a similar sentiment and said, 'Whatever his opinion is, he can say. We have high regard for our land and language. I have not gone through his statement, but if his statement damages our sentiments towards language, I condemn it."
DMK Leaders Back Kamal Haasan
Tamil Nadu Minister for Municipal Administration, Urban and Water Supply K. N. Nehru has backed Haasan, saying there is 'nothing wrong" in what the actor said.
'Telugu Malayalam languages originated from Tamil, there is nothing wrong with what he said," he added.
DMK Spokesperson TKS Elangovan said Haasan did not insult Kannada and blamed the BJP for dividing the people.
'When the BJP enters into any issue, they will talk all nonsense…Kamal Haasan might have read and quoted some historical facts. It is not his finding. This does not mean that he is insulting Kannada…It is not Kamal Haasan's view…BJP's role is to create trouble among people. They want to divide people. BJP is not a party for the sake of the people. Nobody is against Kannada. Many people are living in Tamil Nadu who speak Kannada, and we respect them," he said.
It is worth noting that Haasan will soon enter Rajya Sabha with the help of ally DMK.
Where Does BJP Stand On Kamal Haasan Row?
The BJP, which is in opposition in both states, has tried to tread carefully on the issue. While its leaders have slammed Haasan, they refrained from commenting much on the Tamil-Kannada row, saying all languages belong to India.
Tamil Nadu BJP President Nainar Nagenthiran said, 'If we research whether Kannada originated from the Tamil language, there will be differences of opinion, but ultimately, all languages are ours."
Tamil Nadu BJP vice president Narayanan Thirupathy said Haasan should not belittle any language to praise your language. 'From where did Kamal Haasan learn that Kannada is born from Tamil?.. A celebrity like him should be more responsible because of his societal stature. He should tell where he learned all this from. Is there any document that says this?… He can not try to escape from what he said. Kamal Haasan owes an explanation," he said.
BJP leader Tamilisai Soundararajan said, 'Whenever you express the richness of your own language, you should also think about other languages… Why didn't Kamal Hasan mention this previously when he was acting in Kannada, Telugu and Hindi movies? Why now he wants to disrupt the brotherhood of other states?"
Karnataka BJP chief Vijayendra Yediyurappa said Haasan has disrespected Kannada and asserted it is the height of arrogance and arrogance of an actor who has acted in many Indian languages, including Kannada.
'One should love one's mother tongue, but showing disrespect in its name is uncultured behaviour. Especially artists should have the culture of respecting every language," he said.
Union Minister of State Shobha Karandlaje, a Lok Sabha MP from Banglore North, condemned Haasan's statement and alleged that the actor wants to create a problem between states and their languages.
What Kamal Haasan Said
During a promotional event for 'Thug Life" last week, Kamal Haasan claimed that 'Kannada was born out of Tamil", sparking widespread outrage among pro-Kannada groups and cultural organisations.
Haasan made these remarks while addressing Sandalwood star Shiva Rajkumar, who was present at the event.
'You are my family that is residing in Karnataka, and hence, you came all the way here. When I started the speech, I said that my life and my family are Tamil. Your language was born out of Tamil, and hence you are part of it," said Kamal Haasan to Shiva Rajkumar.
Later, Haasan defended his remark, saying that he said it out of love and that a lot of historians have taught him the history of languages. 'I didn't mean anything. Tamil Nadu is a state where a Menon has been our Chief Minister, where a Reddy has been our Chief Minister, a Tamil has been our CM, and a Kannadiga Iyengar has been our CM… Politicians are not qualified to talk about language. They don't have the qualifications to talk about it, including me. Let us leave all these very in-depth discussions to historians, archaeologists and language experts," he said.
(With inputs from ANI, PTI)
About the Author
Saurabh Verma
Saurabh Verma covers general, national and international day-to-day news for News18.com as a Senior Sub-editor. He keenly observes politics. You can follow him on Twitter --twitter.com/saurabhkverma19
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First Published:
June 04, 2025, 14:20 IST
News politics INDI Bloc Allies In Karnataka, Tamil Nadu Divided On Kamal Haasan's Kannada Remark
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