The speaker of Lok Sabha on Wednesday said that she would allow the union budget to be tabled in the Parliament as planned, despite calls by Congress party to postpone the budget presentation following the death of a former minister a night before. Speaker Sumitra Mahajan reportedly noted that it was a “constitutional obligation” for her to let the budget be presented on Wednesday itself. She stated that the lower house wouldn’t convene on Thursday, in what is being seen as mark of respect toward the deceased MP.
According to news reports, Congress had called on the government to delay the budget in the wake of an Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) MP and former junior minister of external affairs E Ahamad passed away the previous night after suffering a cardiac arrest.
Minister of state for finance Santosh Gangwar then reveled that house speaker Mahajan would take the final call if the budget could be postponed.
“Due to the unfortunate passing away of a sitting MP, the Speaker will decide if the House will be adjourned or not. Normally, the House is adjourned on the death of a sitting MP. So, the chances are budget can be postponed for a day, but the Speaker will decide,” Gangwar said.
Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan says the budget will be presented today as a constitutional obligation and the house will not sit tomorrow
— Archith Seshadri (@ArchithNEWS) February 1, 2017
(Source: Twitter/Archith Seshadri)
