India, June 3 -- Banu Mushtaq, who recently brought global recognition to Kannada literature by winning the International Booker Prize, on Monday asserted that the language and its people are widely misunderstood beyond Karnataka.

Speaking at a felicitation ceremony held at the Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru, the acclaimed writer addressed the growing perception that Kannada speakers are intolerant of other languages, PTI reported.

(Also Read: Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah lauds Banu Mushtaq's International Booker win)

"Many journalists from national media have asked me about Karnataka's supposed linguistic intolerance," she said according to PTI. "And I've told them clearly, this is a misreading. Kannada is among the most tolerant languages ...