Kannada Row: Bengaluru Court Restrains Kamal Haasan from “Defamatory” Comments

A Bengaluru City Civil Court has granted a restraining order against famous politician and actor Kamal Haasan, prohibiting him from saying anything else that can be interpreted as insulting or defamatory against the Kannada language or its people. The court’s ruling follows a previous interview in which Haasan’s comments regarding regional language politics provoked criticism, especially from cultural organizations and pro-Kannada groups.

Until the next hearing, the July 3, 2025, court order will stay in force. A Kannada advocacy group filed the appeal, arguing that Haasan’s comments were “disparaging to the pride and heritage of the Kannada language” and may potentially spark unrest in the community.

Kamal Haasan, Kannada Defamation: 

What Kamal Haasan Actually Said:

In a political television show, Kamal Haasan said, “It is unfair to impose Kannada in the border districts and an insult to linguistic diversity.” He also said, “Tamil Nadu held on to its language without putting it on people’s throats — others need to take a leaf from that,” meaning that other states like Karnataka could learn to keep languages in a more inclusive way.

They all interpreted his statement as a covert condemnation of Karnataka’s strict Kannada-language-oriented policies and were incensed by Kannada groups who interpreted the statement as an attack on their identity.

Reaction from Kannada Groups:

Organizations such as Karnataka Rakshana Vedike came back at Haasan’s accusations promptly, terming them “divisive and disrespectful.” The primary complaint was that, as a public figure and politician, Haasan’s remarks had the authority of evoking powerful feelings and triggering local sensitivities.

The court appeared to concur — at least on a short-term basis. The court added such comments would be able to spark “regional disharmony” and chose to grant a temporary injunction, prohibiting Haasan from speaking further on the matter until the case is considered in entirety by the court.

Haasan has so far kept his counsel in public. People close to him indicate that he is sticking to his guns and feels that he was exercising his freedom of speech — particularly on an issue as important as Indian linguistic diversity.

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