Bengaluru, 30 May

Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje on Friday condemned actor Kamal Haasan's recent remarks about Kannada language and accused him of giving such a "controversial statement" for the sake of politics and publicity.

Speaking to reporters here, she said that everyone's value (popularity) will not be the same all the time. Haasan was a big actor and hero at one point. Everyone used to like him.

"Now he has become a politician. So, to increase his value (politically) and for publicity, he made a controversial statement. He already worked in Karnataka. He ate here, he drank water here. That he forgot. He gave that statement for the sake of politics and publicity. This will not work. But Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam are not different. We all work together," she added.

Condemning his statement, she said, "The actor wants to create problems between the states and languages."

The Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) on Thursday said that it will not allow the release of Haasan's film 'Thug Life' in Karnataka unless he issues a public apology by 30 May for his controversial remarks about the Kannada language.

Actor-politician Haasan, who stoked a controversy with his "Kannada was born out of Tamil remark," on Friday declined to apologise and said he believed in law and justice and his love for Karnataka was true.

Earlier on Wednesday, the actor clarified that his remarks on Kannada were said out of love and that "love will never apologise."