AIADMK, DMK spar over Keeladi

Chennai: Asserting that
did not spend even a paisa for Keeladi archaeological explorations,
on Friday accused it of politicising the excavation report submitted by ASI official K Amarnath Ramakrishna.
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The DMK rejected the charges, saying DMK govt allotted 27 crore in the last four years for archaeological explorations in 37 places, including Keeladi.
Addressing reporters at AIADMK headquarters, former minister Mafoi K Pandiarajan said the previous AIADMK govt was instrumental in the ongoing archaeological explorations and excavations in eight places. The govt acquired 100 acres from farmers amidst unrest and sent artefacts to advanced laboratories in the US, Singapore, and Italy for carbon dating and material analysis.
When the Centre hesitated to fund further excavations, former chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami stepped in and allocated funds to continue the research by the state archaeology department, and reports were submitted to the Centre, he said.
"Only the AIADMK did excavation in Keeladi, while the DMK politicised it," Pandiarajan said, adding that the EPS govt had allotted 105 crore every year.
At Anna Arivalayam, DMK medical wing secretary and MLA N Ezhilan told reporters that Pandiarajan's statement that AIADMK allotted 105 crore for Keeladi excavation was a blatant lie.
"The AIADMK govt allotted only 55 lakh." When Union govt halted the excavations abruptly in 2016, DMK MP Kanimozhi went to the court. Only after the court directed the resumption of the excavation did the AIADMK govt continue the exercise, he said.
"TN people will never forgive EPS for betraying Tamil culture and its ancient heritage," Ezhilan added.
Pandiarajan said the previous report on Keeladi findings proved Tamil was a developed writing system 2,500 years ago. The latest report from Ramakrishna outlined a different time bracket, prompting the ASI to ask for clarification.
"You must respond. Instead, submitting the paper to (chief minister) Stalin and making him speak is nothing but politics," he said. Pandiarajan said the Union govt was not saying that Tamil was not ancient.

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