Budget as declared, Supreme Court refuses to hear plea on postponing it

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday refused to give urgent hearing to a plea seeking postponement of the Union Budget to March, after the Assembly polls in 5 states were completed.

A bench of the SC headed by CJI Jagdish Singh Khehar said, "will hear the matter in due course of time, but not now".

Advocate ML Sharma, who filed the PIL on the issue, mentioned it and sought an urgent hearing.

The PIL has also sought a direction to strip Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of its lotus election symbol for alleged violation of the model code of conduct which came into effect after declaration of assembly polls in five states.

The Budget is scheduled to be held on February 1, and the NDA government is in no mood to postpone it.

The Opposition parties had earlier on Thursday approached the Election Commission demanding that the Budget be postponed to a date beyond March 8, the last date on which voting for Assembly elections will be held.

The Opposition contends that holding the Budget before the Assembly polls will allow the BJP to woo voters through various schemes.