Postponement of Budget 2017 won't break secrecy: Deve Gowda

Budget 2017: Even as Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is all set to present the Union Budget today, as per schedule, Opposition has been demanding its postponement after the death of former union minister and IUML MP E Ahamed. Former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda demanded the budget presentation be postponed.

"Postponement of the Budget is no big deal. It's not as if secrecy will break", he said.

Ahamed suffered a cardiac arrest midway President Pranab Mukherjee’s address to joint sitting of Parliament on Tuesday. A Member of Parliament representing Malappuram constituency in Kerala and the national president of Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), Ahamed passed away early Wednesday morning at 2:15 am at the RML hospital in New Delhi.

Putting all speculations to an end, Arun Jaitley tweeted, "Watch me live presenting the Union Budget 2017 at 11 am, February 1, 2017".

Earlier Jaitley had offered condolences on the demise of Ahamed.

"Condolences on the sad demise of Mr E Ahamed, a veteran parliamentarian & former Union Minister. May the departed soul rest in peace", he tweeted.