The image of Benjamin Basumatary, covered with ₹500 currency notes, has ignited controversy, prompting demands from the Congress-led Opposition parties for a thorough investigation into the source of the cash. Basumatary was identified as the UPPL’s Village Council Development Committee (VCDC) chairman in Udalguri district.
The United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL), a regional ally of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Assam, has distanced itself from a viral photograph depicting a man sleeping on a bed of cash, stirring political tensions ahead of the April 19 Lok Sabha election.
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Debabrata Saikia, Congress MLA and leader of the Opposition in the Assam Assembly, raised concerns over the matter, urging Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Director General of Police Gyanendra Pratap Singh to intervene. Saikia emphasized the contradiction between Basumatary’s actions and the party’s anti-corruption stance, citing allegations of misappropriation of NREGA and PMAY funds against him.
In response to the controversy, UPPL president Pramod Boro issued a statement clarifying that Benjamin Basumatary had been suspended from the party on January 10, 2024. Boro emphasized that disciplinary action was taken against Basumatary following a letter from the Harisingha Block Committee of the UPPL on January 5, 2024, effectively severing ties with him.
