The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Wedenesday  joined the other political parties in the state in condemning the cartoon-row in NCERT text books. "I strongly condemn this", CM  said in a statement. The AIADMK leader adds that the cartoon is "insulting, demeaning to followers of Periyar and Anna and hurts the sentiments of Tamil people". She has also said that the "Dravidian movement can be best explained through photographs instead of cartoons."

Quoting the late CN Annadurai, former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and Dravidian leader, Ms Jayalalithaa said "the quality of Tamils is not to be below anyone or to lower anyone." Earlier the DMK and MDMK also condemend the cartoon and urged the HRD Ministry to remove the same.

The cartoon, by R K Laxman, is part of a textbook on Political Science for Class 12 students. The cartoon deals with the anti-Hindi protests in 1965 when students fought against attempts to make Hindi the official language of the state because they worried this would make Tamils second-class citizens. The cartoon controversy in Tamil Nadu follows an uproar in parliament over a cartoon by Shankar in another textbook. The cartoon was attacked for being disrespectful of BR Ambedkar.  However many teachers argue that cartoons best explaing to students.  (With inputs from internet-AarKay)