CHENNAI: Actor-politician Kamal Haasan on Friday attacked the Centre over tax devolution to Tamil Nadu, alleging that it only returned 29 paisa to the state out of every rupee contributed to the union government. Seeking votes for DMK's Erode Lok Sabha constituency candidate K E Prakash, Haasan said though East India company was driven out of the nation, a company has now come from West India.

''It is a place where Gandhiji was born,'' he said in a veiled reference to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home state Gujarat and also the BJP. Haasan, who founded the Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) party in 2018, without directly naming the Central government or the BJP, said out of every rupee contributed in taxes collected from the state, only 29 paisa is returned to the state. It is not known if the tax revenue collected by the Centre reached ''brothers,'' as they too come to Tamil Nadu for 'coolie' work, Haasan said without elaborating further.

''Where it is going (tax collected from Tamil Nadu and contributed to the Centre),'' he asked. Kamal Haasan launched his campaign here in support of the DMK-led alliance which includes the Congress and Left parties. Haasan's party has been assured a Rajya Sabha seat in 2025 by Chief Minister M K Stalin. MNM is not contesting the Lok Sabha polls.