MNM chief Kamal Haasan on Sunday lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and asked him to explain the need of building a new Parliament for about Rs 1,000 crores, “when half of India is hungry due to coronavirus pandemic triggered loss of livelihoods”.

Likening the proposed construction of the structure to that of the centuries-old Great Wall of China, Haasan claimed that “thousands of people perished” while it was being built. But the rulers of the country said the wall would ‘guard’ the people of China.

“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 chief asked on Twitter.

“Answer honourable elected Prime Minister,” Hassan demanded, hours before starting off with his campaign for the Assembly polls from Madurai in southern Tamil Nadu.

The Assembly elections in the state are due in April-May next year.

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”.

The leader, on being asked about the focus of MNM’s campaign, said his party would be bringing in a complete transformation in Tamil Nadu.

“There is no doubt about degeneration in the state...people know that well and there is no point lamenting..MNM will talk about what needs to be done now,” Haasan said in an apparent attack to DMK and AIADMK, who have ruled the state since 1967.