Bengaluru | Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Monday appealed for calm and patience amid the ongoing controversy surrounding actor Kamal Haasan's recent remark suggesting that Kannada originated from Tamil.

Declining to comment on the actor's statement, he said he did not wish to escalate the issue into a political matter.

"I don't know the issue so let me go to my records and then I will speak. I don't want to make this a political issue. We all are neighbours, We all have to work together, live together. Our water goes to Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu people come here. We are not enemies. We all are friends," he told reporters here.

Reminding the public that nothing is permanent in life, Shivakumar said, "I would like to ask everyone to remain calm and patient." Meanwhile, Hassan approached the Karnataka High Court requesting protection to ensure the smooth release of his upcoming film 'Thug Life' in the state.

The move comes in response to Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce's recent announcement that it will not allow the release of Haasan's film in the state unless he issues an apology for his "controversial" remarks about the Kannada language.

The actor-politician had on Wednesday clarified that his remarks on Kannada were said out of love and that "love will never apologise".

The top star's response, which he described as an "explanation" and not an "answer," came in the wake of protests by pro-Kannada organisations against his remarks.