Thiruvananathapuram: The Kerala assembly witnessed high drama as opposition parties disrupted budget presentation alleging that the key financial statement was leaked.
The Congress-led UDF members entered into the well of the House when finance minister Thomas Isaac was midway into his Budget speech.
Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala alleged that the details of the Budget speech was being circulated on social media even before Isaac read out those in the House.
Chennithala even displayed copies of the details of the budget speech in the Assembly.
“The budget has been leaked. It lost its sanctity,” he said.
Though the Speaker tried to pacify the opposition members saying the chair will investigate the matter, the opposition resorted to sloganeering and shouting.
Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said he would probe the matter once the presentation is over.
Isaac said he was unaware of the incident, to which Chennithala retorted that the budget was leaked from the finance minister's office only. “He (Isaac) is a man of social media. It wouldn't happen without his knowledge,” Chennithala said.
Isaac resumed budget presentation by 11. 30 p.m. The opposition staged a walk-out to protest the alleged leak of budget. As Isaac was about to conclude his Budget speech, Chennithala held a press conference at the media room of the Assembly and read out portions of the Budget calling it a parallel Budget presentation.