Speaker Sumitra Mahajan explains why govt went ahead with Union Budget 2017 despite an MP’s death

Speaker Sumitra Mahajan allowed the government to go ahead with Union Budget 2017 despite facing protest from the opposition. Here's why.

By: News Desk |
February 1, 2017 11:15 am

Amid uncertainty surrounding whether the Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will present the Union Budget 2017 or not, after the death of a sitting MP, E Ahamed, the Lok Speaker Sumitra Mahajan announced that the budget will be presented as scheduled. She affirmed that all she was saddened by the news of the MP, the budget was a “constitutional obligation”.

“We have to keep in mind that budget is a constitutional obligation, will have to be presented,” Sumitra Mahajan said. While some members of the opposition parties demanded the house to be adjourned Sumitra Mahajan said that the budget must be presented as it was planned.

Saddened by #EAhamed ji’s demise but #budget will be presented: Sumitra Mahajan pic.twitter.com/12KPddzza3

— ANI (@ANI_news) February 1, 2017

For the first time in the history, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will present the Union Budget as well as Rail Budget 2017 together in the Parliament at 11 am on February 1. Earlier, the budget was usually presented on the last business day of the month of February.

Earlier in the day, there was speculations that the Budget will be postponed for a day following the demise of Senior Kerala MP, E. Ahamed, who on Tuesday suffered a heart attack and collapsed in Parliament’s Central Hall.

Union Minister Santosh Gangwar on Wednesday said that Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan will take a final call on whether the Parliament will be adjourned or not following the death of former Union Minister E. Ahamed.

The decision to advance the date of budget presentation to February 1 was taken with an aim to complete the entire process before the end of financial year. However, there was a lot of criticism from opposition parties who alleged that the decision was taken to benefit the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the upcoming assembly elections in five states. The BJP though has claimed that the economic growth of the nation cannot be put on hold just because some states are going to polls.