Speaker to take call on Budget: Santosh Gangwar

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.

"Due to the unfortunate passing away of a sitting MP, the Lok Sabha Speaker will decide if the house will be adjourned or not.

"Normally, as per the tradition, the house is adjourned on the death of a sitting MP," Minister of State for Finance Gangwar told reporters here.

"So there are chances that budget can be postponed for a day," the Minister said.

E. Ahamed, who on Tuesday suffered a heart attack and collapsed in Parliament's Central Hall during the joint session of both the houses, died after undergoing treatment at the city-based Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital.

Ahamed, a former Minister in the UPA government and a long-time Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) MP from Kerala, was admitted to hospital after he fell unconscious during President Pranab Mukherjee's address.

The 78-year-old leader has served as Minister of State for External Affairs in the UPA government and has been a Lok Sabha member from Malappuram in Kerala since 1991.

--IANS

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