Karnataka BJP President B Y Vijayendra has strongly criticized actor Kamal Haasan for showing disrespect to the Kannada language while praising his own mother tongue, Tamil. Vijayendra demanded that Kamal Haasan apologise to Kannadigas without any conditions.

This reaction came after Kamal Haasan said that Tamil gave birth to Kannada. Vijayendra said artists should respect all languages. He called Kamal Haasan’s remarks arrogant, especially since the actor has worked in many Indian languages, including Kannada.

Vijayendra also pointed out that Kannada is an important language spoken in many parts of India and the world for hundreds of years.

He accused Kamal Haasan of hurting the feelings of 6.5 crore Kannadigas and said the actor, who claims to promote peace in South India, has been insulting Hinduism and religious beliefs for years. Vijayendra said Kamal Haasan must immediately apologise to the people of Karnataka.

Vijayendra added that Kamal Haasan is not a historian and should not speak with authority about which language came first. Kannada has a history of over 2,500 years and stands for prosperity and unity in India.

He stressed that Kannadigas respect other languages but will not accept any insult to their own language, land, people, or culture.

Kamal Haasan made these comments during the launch event of his new film ‘Thug Life’ in Chennai. He was also in Bengaluru recently to promote the movie.

Praveen Shetty, President of Karnataka Rakshana Vedike, said Kamal Haasan left the event before they could meet him. Shetty warned Kamal Haasan to stop insulting Kannada if he wants to continue showing his films in Karnataka.