Madurai MP slams Union Minister over remarks on Keeladi excavation report

Madurai MP Su. Venkatesan has condemned Union Minister for Culture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat over his recent remarks alleging that the eagerly awaited Keeladi excavation report was drafted under political pressure from the previous Tamil Nadu government.

Calling the statement a serious accusation during the press meet here on Tuesday, Mr. Venkatesan demanded that the Union Minister substantiate his claims with concrete evidence rather than resorting to political rhetoric

He posed a series of questions to the Union government regarding the timeline and handling of the excavations.

Highlighting that the AIADMK government was in power in Tamil Nadu both when archaeologist Amarnath Ramakrishna initiated the Keeladi excavations and when he was subsequently transferred, he asked if the Union implied those initial works also bore a political connection.