Govt. initiating Budget solely for benefit in elections: NCP

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Tuesday said that the Centre is proposing the Financial Budget with the sole purpose of gaining benefits in the coming elections, despite the fact that demonetization has affected the people adversely.

"The budget is being proposed at the time when two prominent states are going to have Assembly Elections. The government is persistent to release the budget anyhow, so that they will get the benefit in the election," NCP leader Majeed Memon told ANI here.

He added that even the Election Commission (EC) had expressed its desire to put the budget on hold since the opposition parties are also against it.

Speaking on the boycott by the Trinamool Congress (TMC) for the first two days of the Budget Session, Memon stated that it is the party's personal decision as TMC chief Mamata Banerjee has consistently opposed the demonetization move, which she considers as a "monumental blunder".

"The TMC, according to the party's ideology and principles, has taken this decision. As far as Mamata Banerjee is concerned, she is consistently against demonetization since the beginning. According to her, the government's decision to implement demonetization without consulting any political party is a "monumental blunder" because of which poor people are being affected adversely," Memon said.

Agitated by the government's demonetisation move and arrest of its party leaders in the alleged chit-fund scam, the Trinamool Congress has decided not to attend the first two days of the Budget Session of Parliament in a protest against the move, which was implemented without taking Parliament into confidence, and restrictions on withdrawal limits from bank accounts which are still in force.

"Trinamool MPs will not be present in Parliament on the first two days of the Budget Session in protest against demonetisation which was implemented without taking Parliament into confidence," Mamata Banerjee said.

The ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal has been at the loggerheads with the Modi government over the issue of demonetisation and the arrest of its two MPs by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with alleged chitfund scam.

Ahead of the Budget Session, an all-party meeting was held on Monday to seek the opposition's support for smooth conduct of proceedings in both the houses of Parliament.

Sixteen opposition parties had this month moved the Election Commission urging the poll body to ask the government to present the Budget 2017 after the assembly elections in five states of Goa, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Manipur and Goa.