GG News Bureau
Chennai, 19th June: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin launched a scathing attack on the Central government, accusing it of waging a “deliberate assault on Tamil cultural identity” by questioning the archaeological findings from the Keezhadi excavation site.
Stalin alleged that the Centre’s decision to return the Keezhadi excavation reports — citing a lack of sufficient evidence — was a politically motivated act rooted in cultural bias. “It’s an open attack on Tamil culture. The BJP that promotes an imaginary Saraswati civilisation, without scientific proof, cannot tolerate the scientifically proven antiquity of Tamil civilisation,” he said.
The Chief Minister emphasized that every artefact unearthed from Keezhadi had undergone rigorous scientific testing in reputed laboratories, including those in Pune and Bengaluru, as well as globally recognized labs in the US and Italy. Yet, he alleged, the BJP government refuses to accept these findings due to its “ideological disdain” for Tamil identity.
Taking a dig at the AIADMK, Stalin accused the opposition party of remaining silent on the issue despite the excavations starting under its rule. “A former AIADMK minister even tried to subsume Keezhadi into the so-called culture of Bharat just to appease the BJP,” he added.
Stalin also highlighted that global-standard analysis had dated iron usage in Tamil civilisation to as far back as 5,300 years — a revelation he said challenged established civilizational narratives. “Neither the Prime Minister nor any BJP leader has acknowledged this — not even a tweet. Their silence reveals the deep-rooted prejudice in their ideology,” he said.
He further accused Tamil Nadu BJP leaders of compromising on Tamil pride and linguistic identity for personal political gain.
Asserting that the DMK would not remain silent, Stalin vowed to continue protests “until it echoes in Delhi.” His remarks came a day after the DMK’s student wing held demonstrations in Madurai and Chennai. At the Madurai protest, DMK MP Trichy Siva warned that the party would stall Parliament until the Centre releases the full findings from Keezhadi.
The Centre recently transferred archaeologist Amarnath Ramakrishna, who led the Keezhadi excavations, triggering further backlash.
Keezhadi, located along the Vaigai River in Sivaganga district, has revealed a highly advanced ancient Tamil civilisation and has now become a symbolic frontline in the cultural-political battle between the DMK-led Tamil Nadu government and the BJP at the Centre.
