Assam: Corruption-accused politician's 'sleeping in cash' photo sparks outrage
An old photo of Benjamin Basumatary, a now-suspended member of the United People's Party Liberal (UPPL) in Assam, sleeping amidst a pile of Rs. 500 notes has triggered a row. Reportedly, this is not Basumatary's first encounter with controversy. He had previously also been accused of massive corruption and misuse of funds in the implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) and Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) schemes.
UPPL severs ties with Basumatary amidst scandal
The picture in no less time sparked a backlash on social media and raised questions about the the politician's affiliation with the Bodoland-based UPPL, which is known for its anti-corruption stance. Amid the political storm, Pramod Boro, UPPL chief and the Chief Executive Member of the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC), issued a clarification on Wednesday morning, stating Basumatary is no longer associated with the party.
Disciplinary action was taken against him: Boro
He said disciplinary action was taken against him after receiving a letter from the Harisingha Block Committee, UPPL, on January 5, 2024. Boro also disclosed that the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) had suspended and removed Basumatary from his position as Village Development Committee (VCDC) chairman on February 10, 2024. In a follow-up video, Basumatary admitted that it was indeed his photo, but it was taken by his friends five years ago at a party.
Check out Basumatary's clarification here
Basumatary confirms photo's authenticity but claims it's dated
"The cash in the photo belonged to his sister," Boro wrote. "A malicious photo of Benjamin Basumatary has been widely spread by media and social media users associating it with UPPL. It has nothing to do UPPL or BTC Government," he added. As per reports, the circulation of the photograph has been deliberately timed to potentially benefit electoral outcomes.
