Mamata questions presenting of Union Budget on day of

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today slammed the Narendra Modi government for its plan to present the Union Budget on February 1, the day when Saraswati Puja will be celebrated in West Bengal and other parts of the country.

“Why don’t we celebrate Saraswati Puja in a big way instead of presenting the Union Budget on February 1. Do Saraswati bandana (prayer) and not your bandana,” she said in a statement tonight.

“We celebrate Saraswati Puja with due dignity and reverence every year. It is an important day in our lives,” Banerjee said, adding, “We worship Ma Saraswati and celebrate it in a special way in every school, college, university, home Everywhere. February 1 is a state government holiday.”

“Now we pray to Ma Saraswati so that good senses, good knowledge, good learning and good humanity prevail and misleading, distorted, planted and spoilt brains cease to exist. Let Ma Saraswati bless us with constructive thoughts and not with destructive ones,” the Chief Minister said.

The Centre has decided to convene the Budget Session of Parliament from January 31 to present the Budget for 2017-18 fiscal the very next day.