A fog of uncertainty made its presence felt on the Union Budget for 2017-18 on Tuesday night, with the possibility of Member of Parliament E Ahamed’s death. Questions arose on whether the Budget should be postponed.
Finance ministry officials told journalists late on Tuesday that though Ahamed’s health was critical, he was under treatment, and it seemed that the Budget would go ahead as planned. But on Wednesday morning, doctors declared the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) leader dead.
The government wanted to go ahead with the Budget; the Opposition wanted to stall it, citing convention.
The dispute made allies
