On the opening day of the budget session on Monday, the Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party combine demanded installation of a portrait of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar in the Central Hall of the Maharashtra legislature.

Assembly Speaker Arun Gujrathi told the House that any decision on the matter should be taken amicably. He said he would take up the matter with council Chairman Professor N S Pharande and take a decision before the session was over.

Earlier, Leader of the Opposition Narayan Rane raised the issue during Zero Hour. He reminded Gujrathi about a letter written to him seeking installation of Savarkar's portrait in the Vidhan Bhavan.

He repeatedly asked the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party members to make their stand clear on the issue.

BJP members Gopinath Munde and Arun Adsad supported Rane.

Munde said since Chief Minister Sushilkumar Shinde was present in the House, he should make a statement on the issue.

Rane said the silence of the Congress and NCP members on the matter clearly indicated their "double standards".

When the speaker said he would take a decision at the earliest, Shiv Sena and BJP members started raising slogans and trooped into the well of the House displaying banners.

The speaker then adjourned the House for 15 minutes. Later, the House was re-adjourned for another 10 minutes.