Sitharaman Carries Forward ‘Bahi Khata’ Tradition, Ditches Leather Budget Briefcase

On Saturday, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was seen carrying the Budget documents in a traditional Bahi-Khata' (ledger) wrapped in a red cloth, similar to the one she did the last year.

Last year, Sitharaman had ditched the long-standing tradition of carrying budget documents in a leather briefcase and switched to swadeshi 'bahi-khata' for her maiden Budget presentation.

Last July, commenting on the shift from a briefcase to 'bahi-khata' at the 2019 Union Budget, Chief Economic Advisor, Krishnamurthy Subramanian had told ANI, "The government is following Indian tradition and 'bahi khata' symbolises our departure from the slavery of Western thought."

"It is not a Budget, but a Bahi-Khata (ledger)," he said.

"Sitharaman believes that leather made products are not auspicious for the big occasion, so she avoided the leather bag and took the 'bahi khata' wrapped in the red cloth. This is considered to be auspicious," he added.

Around 9:45 am on Saturday, dressed in a crisp yellow saree, Sitharaman met President Ram Nath Kovind along with MoS Finance Anurag Thakur and other officials, ahead of the presentation of the Union Budget at the Parliament, scheduled for 11 am.