CHENNAI: As the controversy over Makkal Needhi Maiam president Kamal Haasan’s remarks on Kannada language escalated further, reactions from most political parties in Tamil Nadu remained subdued, unlike their counterparts in Karnataka, who have vehemently and unanimously condemned the actor-politician. The Karnataka HC came down heavily on Haasan on Tuesday for his remark that Kannada was born form Tamil and his refusal to apologise.
Despite the developments, the ruling DMK and the Congress in TN, both allies of MNM with the latter being the ruling party in Karnataka, did not release any statement on the issue.
However, TNCC president K Selvaperunthagai, when contacted, said, he has been responding to queries from the media and has clearly stated that Haasan did not say anything wrong and his remarks have been misunderstood. “His statement should not be politicised. Democratic forces will stand by him,” Selvaperunthagai said.
When reached out for a comment, DMK spokesperson TKS Elangovan said scholars like Manonmaniam Sundaram Pillai (Sundaranar) have written about the languages that came out of Tamil and Hassan might have read them and reflected. VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan told reporters, “Attempts are being made to politicise this as a linguistic or ethnic issue.”
In a social media post, VCK MP D Ravikumar defended Haasan by citing works of Sundaranar and Robert Caldwell. Warning that regressive forces responsible for all types politics of hatred are behind the controversy, he appealed to Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah to protect Dravidian unity. NTK leader Seeman saidHaasan only reiterated established views of scholars. “Are those criticising him experts in linguistics? This is a deliberate attempt to create unrest, and TN will not allow it,” he said.