Arun Jaitley all set to go ahead with Budget presentation

NEW DELHI: Despite the death of sitting parliamentarian and former Union Minister E. Ahamed, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is all set to present the 2017-18 Budget in Parliament on Wednesday, Lok Sabha sources said. The Congress party, however, has sought a day's postponement. "As per normal tradition, the house is adjourned after the demise of a sitting member, but it is not a rule," a Lok Sabha official said, requesting anonymity. But Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said in view of the death of such a senior leader, the budget must be postponed by a day as there is nothing pressing for it to be presented on Wednesday itself. "If they go ahead, it will be an inhuman act," Kharge said, adding: "But the government has ignored this and they are going ahead in their own way."

Earlier on Wednesday, Jaitley arrived at the Finance Ministry ahead of the Budget holding the traditional Budget suitcase. He then left for the Rashtrapati Bhawan to meet President Pranab Mukherjee. Meanwhile, the copies of the budget was also brought to Parliament. The uncertainty over Budget presentation loomed on Wednesday after the death of the Indian Union Muslim League's Ahamed, who passed away at the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital early on Wednesday. He had collapsed in Parliament's Central Hall during President Pranab Mukherjee's address to a joint session of parliament on Tuesday. Earlier in the morning, Union Minister Santosh Gangwar said that Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan will take a final call on whether the Parliament would be adjourned or not following Ahamad's demise.