Budget: How Chidambaram faced anger from his own party
March 01, 2013  16:30
Our sources in Delhi give us the gossip from Parliament yesterday. Remember, P Chidambaram presented the 2013-2014 Union Budget in the Lok Sabha yesterday.

Chidambaram faced some uneasy moments yesterday, not from the opposition benches, but from six senior colleagues from the Congress. As the finance minister began explaining the salient features of the budget, he mentioned that Union ministers should spend more which would encourage fiscal discipline.

Suddenly Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh chirped: "How can Chidambaram say spend more, when he is releasing less percentage of annual allocation?"

Chidambaram, who had seemingly come to Parliament all prettied and primed, was sweating. Known to use cream and talcum powder, his make-up (so to speak), was running, because it was difficult to address the many voices from the PMO inside the Parliament House.

Losing enthusiasm, Chidambaram did answer the question, but unsatisfactorily. Many union ministers were seen looking sullen.  
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