At an occasion in Chennai, Tamil superstar Kamal Haasan made a remark about the Tamil language that caused a commotion. Haasan praised Tamil in his speech and said that Kannada was derived from it as well.

“Uyire Urave Tamizhe” (meaning “my life and my family is Tamil language”) was Haasan’s opening statement. Then, speaking to Kannada actor Shivarajkumar, he said, “That is my family there. Shivarajkumar has come here for that reason. I started my speech by mentioning life, relationships, and Tamil for this reason. Since Tamil is the ancestor of your language (Kannada), you are also included.

His remark sparked uproar, with the BJP accusing the actor of demeaning Kannada in order to elevate his native tongue.

It is uncultured to treat one’s mother language disrespectfully, even when one should adore it. Respect for all languages should be ingrained in the culture of artists in particular. BJP Karnataka unit head Vijayendra Yediyurappa said on X, “It is the height of arrogance and arrogance that an actor @ikamalhaasan, who has acted in many Indian languages, including Kannada, has insulted Kannada by including actor Shivarajkumar in the glorification of his Tamil language.”

Yediyurappa said that Haasan has been hurting people’s religious feelings and disparaging Hinduism for a long period. He asked the actor to retract his statement.

For the last several years, Kamal Haasan, who is meant to promote unity in South India, has been consistently disparaging Hinduism and inflicting emotional injury on religious people. By undermining the self-respect of 6.5 crore Kannadigas, he has now denigrated Kannada. Kamal Haasan need to offer the Kannadigas an unreserved apology right now,” he said.

In a fierce protest against Kamal Haasan, pro-Kannada organizations have threatened to outlaw his next film in the state. In Bengaluru, a few of them even destroyed the posters for his film.