Kannada activist booked for burning posters of actor Kamal Haasan in Bengaluru

The incident took place late on the night of May 28 near Pavitra Paradise Circle on KHB Road in Bengaluru's Basaveshwaranagar.

Bengaluru police have registered an FIR against a pro-Kannada activist for allegedly burning posters of actor-politician Kamal Haasan, protesting his recent remark about the Kannada language that has sparked widespread outrage.

Members of Kannada Rakshana Vedike burn an effigy during a protest against actor Kamal Haasan over his "Tamil gave birth to Kannada" remarks.(PTI)

The incident took place late on the night of May 28 near Pavitra Paradise Circle on KHB Road in Basaveshwaranagar, news agency PTI reported.

According to officials, the protest was led by Ravikumar, president of the Kannada outfit Namma Karunada Yuva Sene, around 11.45 pm. He allegedly set fire to posters of Haasan, disrupting traffic and disturbing public peace in the area.

“A case was registered based on a complaint from an on-duty constable. The protest not only caused a traffic obstruction but also posed a public nuisance,” a senior police officer said.

The FIR has been filed under Sections 270 (public nuisance) and 283 (causing danger or obstruction in public way or line of navigation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Further investigation is underway.

The protest was in response to Kamal Haasan’s recent statement during a promotional event for his upcoming film Thug Life, where he claimed that “Kannada was born out of Tamil.” The remark has angered several pro-Kannada organisations, who have demanded an apology and retraction from the actor.

Union Minister slams actor Kamal Haasan

Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje on Friday strongly criticised actor-politician Kamal Haasan for his recent remarks about the Kannada language, accusing him of making a “controversial statement” purely for political mileage and publicity.

Speaking to reporters, Karandlaje said Haasan, once a celebrated film star admired across regions, is now trying to revive his relevance as a politician.

“He was once a big hero, and people across the country liked him. But now, as a politician, he is trying to increase his political value and gain attention by making such controversial comments,” she said.

Referring to Haasan’s association with Karnataka, she added, “He has worked in Karnataka. He’s eaten here, drunk water here—has he forgotten all that? This kind of statement, made just for politics and publicity, won’t work.”

Karandlaje asserted that languages such as Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam are not separate in spirit and that people across South India work in harmony. “But what he said only creates rifts between states and languages. We strongly condemn this,” she said.