DMK Working President M K Stalin yesterday shot off a letter to Sharma, seeking his intervention to allow further excavation at the site, work on which has been reportedly stalled by Central Advisory Board of Archaeology (CABA).
"As per report obtained excavation has been going on for the last 2 years. It has been paused to prepare report on the outcome of excavation," tweeted Sharma, the Minister of State for Culture and Tourism.
Stalin also asked for necessary funds for the excavation works at Keeladi, which is small village near Silaiman on the border between Madurai and Sivagangai district in Tamil Nadu.
Terming the CABA's decision to stall works as "unfortunate", Stalin had said the excavation "has revealed an ancient and important landmark of Tamil's civilisation dating back to the Sangam era, 2,500 years ago."
Stating that the refusal of funding and permission to continue the excavation was a great shock and disappointment to the people of Tamil Nadu, the DMK leader has questioned the rationale behind the move when in northern and eastern states such excavations "are being allowed liberally to continue even for more than 10 years.