Bengaluru: Karnataka BJP president B Y Vijayendra on Wednesday demanded an unconditional apology from actor Kamal Haasan, accusing him of insulting the Kannada language and hurting the self-respect of over 6.5 crore Kannadigas.
"Now, he has insulted Kannada by hurting the self-respect of 6.5 crore Kannadigas," Vijayendra said. "Kamal Haasan should immediately apologise unconditionally to the people of Karnataka."
The BJP leader's remarks came in response to a recent public event where Kamal Haasan, while praising the Tamil language, allegedly made remarks that sidelined Kannada, even as he shared the stage with renowned Kannada actor Shivarajkumar. Vijayendra called the episode a display of "uncultured behaviour" and "the height of arrogance."
“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. “It is shocking that Kamal Haasan, who has acted in several Indian languages including Kannada, would insult the very language and people who embraced him.”
Vijayendra reminded the actor of Kannada's rich cultural heritage and historical significance. “Kannada has been a prominent and respected language not just in India but in many parts of the world for centuries,” he said. “Kamal Haasan, who is not a historian, has no authority to make claims about which language came first. Kannada has a documented history of more than two and a half thousand years and symbolises harmony and prosperity.”
The BJP leader further alleged that Kamal Haasan has, in recent years, consistently made comments that hurt Hindu sentiments. “Haasan, who is expected to be a unifying figure in South India, has instead been repeatedly insulting Hinduism and religious beliefs. Now, he has gone a step further by undermining Kannada pride.”
Calling the remarks a betrayal of Kannada people's generosity, Vijayendra stated: “Haasan has forgotten the warmth with which the Kannada film industry and audience welcomed him. This reveals an ungrateful and narrow-minded outlook.”
He concluded by asserting that Kannadigas have always shown respect to all languages and cultures, but never at the cost of their own identity. “Kannadigas are not language haters, but they have never compromised on their self-respect when it comes to Kannada land, language, people, water or ideas.”
Kamal Haasan stirred a controversy with his recent comments at a film promotion event in Chennai, where he stated that the “Kannada language was born out of Tamil.”
