CHENNAI: Chief Minister MK Stalin on Monday urged the BJP-led Union government to immediately grant approval for eight archaeological excavations proposed by Tamil Nadu, including sites at Keezhadi, Adichanallur and Nagapattinam.
In a strongly worded statement, Stalin said the proposals were submitted in July 2025 and were taken up in a meeting chaired by the Director General of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in November.
However, he noted that permission has remained pending for the past eight months.
"Time and again we have raised this demand, and time and again it is being ignored," the Chief Minister said, questioning the delay.
He pointed out that the excavation season in Tamil Nadu runs only from January to July.
Missing this limited window, he warned, would stall fieldwork due to monsoon conditions, delay crucial research and render funds allocated for 2025–26 unutilised.
"Let Keezhadi speak. Let history rise," Stalin said, asserting that uncovering the antiquity of Tamil civilisation would only add to India's civilisational pride and not diminish it.
Questioning what he described as the Union government's "hesitation", the Chief Minister said there should be no reluctance in approving the excavations. "Approve the excavations and let history speak," he added.