Bengaluru court restrains Kamal Haasan from making remarks against Kannada

Bengaluru: A city civil court has passed an ex-parte injunction order against actor Kamal Haasan restraining him from posting, making, issuing, writing, publishing and or distributing any statement or remarks claiming linguist superiority over Kannada language, literature, land and culture till the next date of hearing.

An Additional City Civil and Sessions Judge, Bengaluru passed this order after hearing a suit filed by Kannada Sahitya Parishat (KSP) through its president Mahesh Joshi. The court also ordered suit summons to defendant Kamal Haasan while posting the case to August 30 for further consideration.

The suit was filed seeking permanent injunction against the actor from making any defamatory statements against the Kannada language and the culture.

The actor had made the statement about Kannada language in Chennai during the audio launch of his movie ‘Thug Life’ saying that the language – Kannada – is born out of language – Tamil.

The suit filed by KSP said that the actor’s statement has hurt the sentiments of Kannadigas. “The reason that this has caused immense pain and anguish to people is because the statement is manifestly and objectively untrue and it has been made with a sense of chauvinism, superiority and arrogance.

"The intent of the defendant (Kamal Haasan) was to try and give a sarcastic and back handed compliment, which would please the people of Tamil Nadu, but irk and insult the people of Karnataka,” the KSP said.