NEW DELHI, Aug 26: India's opposition parties stayed away from parliament on Thursday, paving the way for the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government to pass a 104 billion dollar budget without a minute's debate.

Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee took a voice vote from the treasury benches to declare the adoption of the Finance Bill amid a boycott by the opposition National Democratic Alliance (NDA). He adjourned the house immediately after the passage of the bill.

"It is not a happy occasion. It is in fact a sad occasion that the Finance Bill is being passed without any discussion or participation from the opposition parties," Mr Chatterjee said.

The Finance Bill was later sent to the Rajya Sabha and was approved. The Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA said it was upset over the manner in which its delegation was allegedly treated by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, when they met him on Wednesday with "suggestions and comments" on the Finance Bill.

Dr Singh had evidently asked them to discuss the issue on the floor of the parliament, an advice that was apparently taken amiss. The opposition parties have not allowed the parliament to work over a range of issues, including corruption and alleged appeasement of Muslims.

"Yesterday, when the NDA delegation met the prime minister, his attitude was shocking. Later, the Congress members also tried to justify this. Now, the NDA has decided to abstain from the (passage of) Finance Bill, " BJP spokesman Vijay Kumar Malhotra said after a meeting of the NDA.

The NDA had earlier agreed to allow the passage of the Finance Bill without discussion. All member parties of the NDA will meet on Friday to decide a strategy, Mr Malhotra said.

Joining other NDA leaders, former prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee also attacked Dr Singh for his "impolite" and "unbecoming conduct" towards an alliance delegation and asked the government to build bridges with the opposition during Parliament's inter-session recess.

Addressing a press conference after a 90-minute meeting of the NDA MPs, he said he deeply regretted that the opposition had to stay away from parliament with "much reluctance" in protest against the prime minister's refusal to accept a memorandum from NDA leaders on Wednesday.

"He (Singh) has certainly not set a good example by being impolite with the NDA delegation and not showing the basic courtesy of receiving their memorandum," Mr Vajpayee, flanked by NDA Convener George Fernandes, Leaders of Opposition in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha Lal Krishan Advani and Jaswant Singh, said.

The NDA is widely seen as looking for issues to target the government in the forthcoming state elections in Maharashtra and in more than 40 by-elections due in October.