Oppn arguments seeking Budget postponement lacked logic: Govt.

The government on Monday lauded the Supreme Court's decision to reject the plea seeking postponement of the Union Budget and took a dig at the opposition for politicising the issue while stating that the budget is not state specific but for the country as a whole.

Minister of State for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said the budget is the government's constitutional responsibility, adding halting the process or politicising it is wrong.

"In India, the elections keep happening the entire year at some place or the other. Budget is not state specific, but for the entire nation," Naqvi told ANI.

Asserting that the arguments in favour of budget postponement lacked logic and facts, Naqvi said the apex court has taken the decision according to the government's constitutional responsibility.

"The arguments for the postponement of the budget lacked facts and logic. The SC's decision is according to the constitutional responsibility of the government," he said.

The Supreme Court earlier today rejected the plea seeking postponement of the budget announcement.

The apex court rejected lawyer Manohar Lal Sharma's plea seeking postponement of Union Budget to March due to the upcoming assembly elections in the five states of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Manipur, Goa and Uttarakhand next month.

Sharma in his plea stated that the people would face a lot of problems due to the upcoming assembly elections in these five states.

The opposition had also sought the same, arguing that the budget announcement would allure the voters and influence voting thereby leading to unfair elections.

The Union Budget will now be announced on February 1, as had been decided by the government.