BJP-RSS afraid of Keezhadi's archaeological truth: Stalin on Centre's remark
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Friday responded sharply to Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat's remarks accusing the DMK of playing divisive politics over the Keezhadi excavations. Stalin criticised the BJP for continuing to question the archaeological findings, despite what he described as irrefutable scientific evidence confirming the antiquity of the findings of the excavation.In a post on X, Stalin wrote: 'Even when confronted with carbon-dated artefacts and Accelerator Mass Spectrometry reports from international laboratories on the Keezhadi excavations, they continue to demand 'more proof'. And here is the 'Proof'.' He accused the BJP of dismissing scientifically established history while promoting the 'mythical' Sarasvati Civilisation without credible evidence.advertisement'But on the contrary, despite strong opposition from respected historians and archaeologists, the BJP continues to promote the mythical Sarasvati Civilisation. They do so without credible evidence, while dismissing the rigorously proven antiquity of Tamil culture,' Stalin said.
He further alleged that the BJP and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) ecosystem feared the truth of Tamil history because it did not serve their ideological narrative. 'When it comes to Keezhadi and the enduring truth of Tamil heritage, the BJP-RSS ecosystem recoils — not because evidence is lacking, but because the truth does not serve their script,' he said.'We fought for centuries to unearth our history. They fight every day to erase it,' Stalin added, concluding, 'The world is watching. So is time.'Stalin's post came in response to Union Minister of Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat's remarks on June 11, in which he alleged that the DMK government was refusing to cooperate with the central government on Keezhadi research. He claimed that the DMK was attempting to politicise the excavation data.advertisementIn a post on X, Shekhawat said, 'Honourable Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Stalin, we do not hesitate to release any statement. In fact, if such research is scientifically proven, we will also be proud of it along with you. But for the acceptance of today's scientific world, we need more scientific and strong evidence.'He added, 'That is why, instead of rushing to politicise the excavation data, we have requested the Tamil Nadu government to support the central government in continuing the research until more scientific data is available. I cannot understand why the Tamil Nadu government is reluctant to cooperate.''Tamil Nadu is an integral part of India — its heritage should be celebrated through honest knowledge, not through divisive sentiments,' Shekhawat said.DMK Minister Thangam Thennarasu also strongly criticised the Union Minister Shekhawat over the Centre's stance on the Keeladi (also known as Keezhadi) archaeological findings. On Wednesday, the DMK Minister asked whether the Centre's reluctance to recognise the archaeological findings stemmed from a desire to treat Tamils as 'second-class citizens.'He accused the Centre of repeatedly finding excuses to avoid acknowledging the Keezhadi excavations, which he said have been internationally recognised for their historical significance. 'First they said there was nothing in Keezhadi. Next they transferred the research officer. Then they said they would not allocate any funds henceforth. Finally, they put the submitted report on hold for two years. Now they come and say that the evidence is not enough. It is common for them to reject the history of the Tamils every time. The reasons they find are only different,' he had said.
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