Presenting Budget constitutional requirement: Jaitley

New Delhi, Jan 4
Following demands by some political parties to postpone presentation of the Union Budget till assembly elections in five states are over, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Wednesday said presenting the Budget is a "constitutional requirement".

"Presenting the budget is a constitutional requirement," Jaitley said.

Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday demanded postponement of the Budget presentation in Parliament till the assembly elections are over.

Without naming anyone, Jaitley said: "This is the same party that protests against demonetisation; why are they bothered with the Budget."

The minister said an interim budget was presented even before the 2014 Lok Sabha polls and earlier too budgets had been presented ahead of elections.