The Supreme Court on Thursday recorded a Karnataka government undertaking that it will ensure unhindered screening of Kamal Haasan’s Thug Life and directed the state to take civil, criminal and other actions under the law against those attempting to disrupt the screening.

The court wondered: “Where is the country heading?”

“There is no end to hurt sentiments in India. If a stand-up comedian says something, sentiments are affected, there is vandalism and protests; if somebody recites a poetry, there is a problem…. Where are we heading?” asked Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, heading the bench, during the hearing.

The bench, which also had Justice Manmohan, did not take any names. Stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra had faced protests and threats and the venue of his show was vandalised, while Congress Rajya Sabha member and poet Imran Pratapgarhi had to be granted police protection by the Supreme Court after cases were filed against him in Gujarat.

The bench rejected the plea of the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce that it had merely asked for an apology from Haasan, as there were protests in the state over his remarks that Kannada originated from Tamil. “Because of that, should the movie be stopped? Or stand-up comedy be stopped or recital of poetry be stopped?” the bench asked.