Unprecedented scenario in LS, ministers protest during budget

It was an unprecedented scenario in Lok Sabha today when Finance P Chidambaram presented his interim budget as some of his own ministerial colleagues were in the Well raising slogans against the decision to create Telangana state.

Chidambaram, who was presenting the last budget of UPA-II, remained unfazed as he delivered his hour-long budget speech amid sloganeering by some Congress members from Andhra Pradesh along with those from TMC, AIADMK and SP.

Union Ministers Chiranjeevi, D Purandeswari, K S Rao, Kotla Jaya Surya Prakash Reddy and other Congress members Bapi Raju and G V Harsha Kumar were in the Well demanding a united Andhra Pradesh.

As the budget was being presented, Harsha Kumar stood near the Speaker's table and later leaned on it even though some members asked him to move away.

Minister M M Pallam Raju and few other members were on their feet in the aile.

The Finance Minister, who began the budget presentation at around 11.10 AM, halted his speech for a couple of minutes in the initial stage due to sloganeering from the members.

The Finance Minister was seen talking to Union Ministers Sushilkumar Shinde and Kamal Nath, apparently conveying his determination to carry on with his speech. He was heard saying, "(I am) not going back."

This was the first interim budget by Chidambaram who has presented eight full budgets in the past, the second highest in number by a finance minister.

The maximum of ten budgets was presented by Morarji Desai, while Pranab Mukherjee (currently the President), Yashwant Sinha, Y B Chavan and C D Deshmukh had presented seven budgets each.

Chidambaran concluded his speech with couplets of Tamil sage Thiruvalluvar.