Shortly after former Team India cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin's comments on Hindi, which led to a debate, Tamil Nadu's president K Annamalai agreed with the cricketer and called Hindi as a "link language" and a "language of convenience".

Agreeing with Ravichandran Ashwin, Annamalai said, "Correct. It is not our national language which Annamalai is also telling you. Not only my dear friend Ashwin has to say that. It is not the national language. It was a link language, it is a language of convenience. Nowhere anyone is saying that Hindi is our national language."