Key Points

The protest also targeted the controversial transfer of archaeologist Amarnath Ramakrishna, who led two phases of the Keeladi excavations.

Demonstrators accused the Centre of suppressing Tamil heritage and undermining efforts to showcase the existence of an ancient urban civilisation along the Vaigai river. The protests erupted days after Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat stated on June 10 that the reports submitted to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) by Ramakrishna were "not technically well-supported".

He added that further scientific studies were necessary to validate the conclusions drawn from the site.

In response, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Tuesday criticised the Centre's stand and accused it of deliberately ignoring credible evidence of Tamil civilisation.

In a strongly worded social media post, CM Stalin said, "How many obstacles are there for our Tamil race? For thousands of years, we have resisted all of them, establishing the greatness of our heritage with the support of science. Yet, some minds still refuse to accept it. It is not the reports that need correction; it is some hearts!"

He also called on the public to show their support by joining the DMK Student Wing's large-scale protest planned in Madurai.

"Let us gather in Veeranoor to express the collective sentiment of Tamil identity and historical pride," he urged.

The Keezhadi excavation, initiated in 2015, unearthed urban settlement remnants that experts believe could date back to the Sangam era.

Findings from the site -- including pottery, brick structures, and graffiti -- have fuelled arguments that Tamil civilisation had advanced literacy and urban planning centuries before similar developments elsewhere. The issue has since taken on political overtones, with the DMK and allied organisations framing the Centre's reluctance as part of a broader pattern of neglecting Dravidian history.

- IANS