Language row: Still no apology, K'taka HC tells Haasan, accepts implead application from Kannada org
Bengaluru (PTI): Actor Kamal Haasan has not yet issued an apology for his controversial remarks on Kannada language, observed the Karnataka High Court on Friday and directed the producer of his latest film 'Thug Life' to respond to an application filed by Kannada Sahitya Parishat.
The application sought intervention in the producer's pleas against the ban on the film's release in the state.
The Parishat wanted to place before the Court, the constitutional, cultural and linguistic concerns arising from the statements made by Haasan, particularly from the perspective of protecting the identity, dignity and historical legacy of the Kannada language and culture.
The case stems from a statement made by Haasan during the audio release of the film, where he had said that Kannada was born out of Tamil Language.
The remark led to a huge controversy and Karnataka leaders and the Film Chamber of the state demanded that the actor withdraw his statement and tender an apology. However, he declined to apologise and opted against releasing the movie in Karnataka on June 5, when it was released worldwide.
On Friday, the counsel for production house Raaj Kamal Films International submitted that the actor would need a week's time to file objections to the Kannada Sahitya Parishat's impleadment application.
Justice M Nagaprasanna, who heard the case, posted the matter to June 20.
Earlier, Raaj Kamal Films International filed a petition seeking adequate security for the movie's release in the state.
When the matter came up for hearing before Justice Nagaprasanna on June 3, counsel for the petitioner maintained that there was no malice and an apology was not warranted and submitted that the screening of the movie would not be insisted upon in the state till the issue gets resolved through dialogue.
During the hearing, Haasan came in for strong criticism from the court for his remark, and the court observed that a "single apology could have resolved the situation".
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MediaOne TV Facebook page restored after block linked to ‘government request’
Kochi: The official Facebook page of Malayalam news channel MediaOne TV has been restored after being blocked without prior notice, the broadcaster said on Wednesday.
The channel was quoted by Maktoob as saying that the restriction was lifted automatically, with Meta Platforms informing it that the action had been taken following a “government request” which has now expired or been reversed.
The development came shortly after the channel approached the Kerala High Court challenging the blocking of its page, terming it arbitrary and in violation of legal provisions and judicial precedents. The High Court had issued notice to Meta via email hours before the restriction was withdrawn.
In its petition, the channel said access to its Facebook page had been restricted for users in India without citing any specific content or alleged violation. It contended that while individual posts may be taken down under applicable a rule, blocking an entire page goes beyond the scope of such measures.
The incident followed an earlier action taken against the channel in 2022, when the Ministry of Information and transmitting prohibited it from transmitting. It cited national security concerns regarding the Ministry of Home Affairs' refusal of security clearance.
The Supreme Court of India in April 2023 set aside the ban, observing that national security claims cannot be made without substantive basis and that criticism of government policies does not render a media outlet anti-national.
