Chennai: MNM chief Kamal Haasan on Sunday demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi spell out the rationale behind constructing a new Parliament constructing for about Rs 1,000 crore “when half of India is hungry due to coronavirus pandemic triggered loss of livelihoods”.
Seeking to liken the proposed building of the new edifice to the centuries old Great Wall of China, he claimed that ‘thousands of men and women perished’ through its building, but the dragon nation rulers mentioned the wall was to ‘guard’ the men and women.
“To protect whom is a new Parliament building being constructed at a cost of Rs 1,000 crore when half of India is hungry due to the coronavirus pandemic triggered loss of livelihoods,’ the Makkal Needhi Maiam leader asked in a tweet.
‘Answer honourable elected Prime Minister,’ he said hours before kick starting the first phase of his campaign for the Assembly polls from Madurai in southern Tamil Nadu.
Assembly elections are due during April-May 2021 in Tamil Nadu.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for a new Parliament building on December 10. He also performed the ground-breaking ceremony for the structure, which is expected to be completed by 2022.
Speaking to reporters before leaving for the temple town, Haasan alleged that the authorities had at the last minute not granted permission for MNM to campaign within urban areas, though they had got the nod to go ahead in ‘many places’.
Asked about the focus of his party’s campaign, he said would be ushering in a complete transformation in Tamil Nadu.
“There is no doubt about degeneration in the state…
men and women know that nicely and there is no point lamenting..MNM will speak about what requires to be accomplished now,” he mentioned,apparently targeting the two Dravidian parties, AIADMK and DMK, who have in turn ruled the state because 1967.