Bengaluru, Apr 28 (IANS): Support poured in for Kannada actor Kichcha Sudeep over the Hindi row and his Twitter conversation with Bollywood star Ajay Devgn as the Kannada film industry and top political leaders backed Sudeep.
Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Thursday stated that he agreed with Kichcha Sudeep's statement. "Our stand regarding mother tongue is clear. The issue has been addressed at the times of formation of states on the basis of the language. Regional languages are supreme. All should accept it and respect it, Kichcha Sudeep has said the same," he explained.
Opposition leader Siddaramaiah tagging Ajay Devgn stated that "Hindi was never and will never be our national language. It is the duty of every Indian to respect the linguistic diversity of our country. Each language had its own rich history for its people to be proud of. I am proud to be a Kannadiga."
Former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy stated that "Hindi is just one among the languages of the nation like Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam and Marathi. India is a garden of many languages. The attempts to disturb the diversity should not be made."
"Hindi, though spoken by more people, is not the language of all Indians. From Kashmir to Kanyakumari, Hindi is second or third language in less than 9 states. In this background, how far are the statements of Ajay Devgn tenable? What does it mean when he says do not dub your movies?" Kumaraswamy questioned.
"Ajay Devgn has spoken like a mouthpiece of BJP and its Hindi nationalism," he said.
Actor and activist Chetan Ahimsa chided Ajay Devgn for his statements, saying, "Mr Pan Masala Ajay Devgn, it is better for you to be quiet rather than talking. Look at your arrogance and ignorance. Hindi was never our national language and it will not be a national language. Your words remind us that stars are empty vessels."
Kannada hero Sathish Neenasam wrote addressing to Devgn that "Hindi movies have made money since years in Karnataka. Kannada movies have just set their foot in Hindi territory. Respect us like how we have respected you. Hindi was never our national language, we support you Kichcha Sudeep sir," he said.