Kamal Haasan postpones Rajya Sabha nomination. The Karnataka High Court reprimanded him for his controversial statement on the Kannada language. The DMK has offered him a Rajya Sabha seat from its quota.
Chennai: Film actor and Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) party chief Kamal Haasan is in the headlines for two reasons: he has been offered a Rajya Sabha seat by the DMK government of Tamil Nadu, while simultaneously facing a growing controversy over his comments on the Kannada language.
DMK offers Rajya Sabha seat; nomination postponed
Kamal Haasan was to be nominated to the Rajya Sabha by the DMK, but he has postponed his nomination. It was initially planned for today. However, his nomination for the seat offered by Tamil Nadu's ruling DMK party has now been delayed.
According to reports, the DMK has allocated one of its four Rajya Sabha seats to the MNM, Kamal Haasan's party. This move is considered part of the alliance between the two parties ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
MK Stalin confirms the seat allocation
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK president MK Stalin himself confirmed that his party has decided to give a Rajya Sabha seat to the Makkal Needhi Maiam. The party also announced P. Wilson, Salma, and S.R. Sivalingam as its other three candidates.
Rajya Sabha election timeline
The term of six Rajya Sabha members from Tamil Nadu ends on July 24, 2024. The last date for filing nominations is June 9th. Scrutiny of nominations will be held on June 10th, and voting will take place on June 19th. The results will be announced the same evening.
Kamal Haasan embroiled in Kannada language controversy
Kamal Haasan is currently involved in a major linguistic controversy. He recently stated that "the Kannada language originated from the Tamil language." This remark sparked widespread protests in Karnataka. The Karnataka High Court reprimanded Haasan for refusing to apologize for his comment.
The controversy intensified when a petition was filed against the release of Haasan's upcoming film, 'Thug Life,' in Karnataka. Filmmakers informed the court that the film would not be released in Karnataka on June 5th, leading to the adjournment of the next hearing until June 10th.
Court's b remarks
Karnataka High Court Justice Nagaprasanna expressed displeasure over Kamal Haasan's comment, stating that an apology could have rectified the situation. The court clarified that freedom of speech does not mean hurting the sentiments of a community. He questioned, "Are you (Kamal Haasan) a historian or a linguist to make such a claim? No language is born from another language."
Film release in jeopardy
Opposition to Kamal Haasan's film 'Thug Life' has intensified in Karnataka. The Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) has also announced a boycott of the film. Rajkamal Films International, Kamal Haasan's production house, has sought court protection for the film's release.
