HC slams Kamal Haasan over Kannada remark

The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday came down heavily on actor Kamal Haasan for his recent controversial statement that "Kannada was born out of Tamil," observing that the comment has hurt the sentiments of Kannadigas and asking whether Haasan was a historian or a linguist to make such a claim.

- 

Hearing a plea filed by Raajkamal Films International — co-producers of Haasan's upcoming Tamil film Thug Life — Justice M Nagaprasanna remarked that the actor's statement had led to disharmony in the State, and said an apology from Haasan would have resolved the matter.

"No citizen has the right to hurt sentiments. Jala (water), Nela (land), Bashe (language) — these three things are important to citizens. Language is a sentiment attached to a particular people. You have said something to undermine that," Justice Nagaprasanna observed during the proceedings.