MADURAI: Amid the controversy surrounding actor Kamal Haasan's reported remarks that "Kannada is born out of Tamil", Tamil Nadu BJP President Nainar Nagenthiran on Wednesday sought to defuse the controversy surrounding the actor, asserting that while opinions on linguistic origins may differ, "ultimately, all languages are ours."
This came following Hasan's reported remark during an event on Tuesday.
"If we research whether Kannada originated from the Tamil language, there will be differences of opinion, but ultimately, all languages are ours," the Tamil Nadu BJP President said.
Nainar Nagenthiran's conciliatory tone contrasts with the sharp criticism from other BJP leaders, such as BJP Karnataka State President Vijayendra Yediyurappa, who demanded an unconditional apology from Haasan, accusing him of insulting Kannada and the self-respect of 6.5 crore Kannadigas.
Meanwhile, Congress MLA from Karnataka Rizwan Arshad expressed his disappointment over Haasan's remark, calling it unfortunate and questioning the necessity of such a debate at a time when national unity is paramount.
"What kind of a debate is this? The Kannada language has a history of thousands of years... Kannada and Tamil are ancient languages and part of our country's foundation... Is this debate necessary at a time when all of us have to be united? ... I did not expect Kamal Haasan to make such a statement. It is unfortunate," Arshad said.
Earlier today, DMK Spokesperson TKS Elangovan criticised the BJP for stirring controversy over Haasan's reported statement accusing the party of creating trouble and dividing people by misrepresenting historical references as insults.
He defended Hasan, noting that a language's credit is based on how it is being used and not how it was born in the first place, arguing that his comment was likely a historical citation rather than a personal opinion.
He emphasised that the focus should be on a language's usage and impact rather than its origins.