Kerala’s Opposition parties alleged the state budget had been leaked and staged a walkout from the Assembly on Friday while Finance Minister TM Thomas Isaac was presenting the document, ANI reported. Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala alleged that the minister’s office had leaked details about the budget on social media platforms and demanded his resignation.
“The budget has been leaked. It has lost its sanctity,” the Opposition leader said. He held a parallel media briefing outside the House where he read out excerpts from the “leaked budget” during the Assembly proceedings. Members of the Opposition, led by the United Democratic Front and Kerala Congress, alleged that the budget highlights were given out to the media even before they were announced.
Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said an investigation would be conducted into the matter. “The finance minister has no moral responsibility to continue in office,” said Congress spokesperson Rajmohan Unnithan, according to the Hindustan Times.
The state Budget included provisions for social welfare schemes that ranged from improved internet connectivity, employment generation in education and health sectors, construction of houses for the homeless, and reservations for the differently-abled.
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