Bengaluru, 3 June

Expressing confidence that actor Kamal Haasan would abide by the court's decision, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Tuesday appealed to Kannada organisations not to stage protests in front of theatres and create a law and order situation.

Haasan starrer 'Thug life' will not be released in Karnataka on 5 June, the scheduled date for the pan-India release of the much-anticipated movie, its producers informed the Karnataka High Court on Tuesday.

"The Court would have considered all aspects before asking Kamal Haasan to apologise. I discussed with many litterateurs and experts, according to whom Kannada and Tamil are sister Dravidian languages. I am confident that Kamal Haasan will abide by the Court's order," he told reporters here while responding to a question related to the controversy surrounding the actor's language remarks.

During the court hearing, filmmaker Haasan came in for strong criticism from the court for his remark suggesting that "Kannada was born out of Tamil," and the court observed that a "single apology could have resolved the situation."

The petition was filed following widespread protest against the actor's recent remarks regarding Kannada language and a demand for his apology.

Responding to Union Minister Pralhad Joshi's comment that the Congress government in Karnataka was going soft on the actor as DMK was an alliance partner, Shivakumar said, "BJP is a party which follows divide and rule policy. Congress is a party which rules by uniting. Both needle and scissors are products of iron, but one sews and the other cuts. Congress is the needle."

Urging people not to take law into their hands, he said, "We can't afford to create tension between two states, we need to remember that a large number of people travel to and from Tamil Nadu on a daily basis. I am confident that Kamal Haasan will respect the Court's decision.

I appeal to Kannada organisations not to protest in front of the theatres creating law and order situation."