Ministers should accept bribes if offered, chief of BJP ally in Assam

Mohilary, a rebel-turned-politician, is the chief executive member of Bodoland Territorial Council that BPF has been ruling since 2003. BPF is one of two regional allies of the ruling BJP.

The chief of a regional party has dealt a blow to ally BJP’s battle against corruption in Assam by saying ministers should accept bribe if offered.

Hagrama Mohilary, the president of Bodoland People’s Front.(PTI File Photo)

“We have two ministers in the Sarbananda Sonowal government. They should accept ‘maal’ (bribe) if offered,” Hagrama Mohilary, the president of Bodoland People’s Front (BPF), said.

Mohilary, a rebel-turned-politician, is the chief executive member of Bodoland Territorial Council that BPF has been ruling since 2003. BPF is one of two regional allies of the ruling BJP.

“The government has taken steps to check corruption but ministers have not been asked to not accept bribes if offered. There is no harm in accepting anything but the ministers should not demand,” he said.

The BPF has two ministers in the Sonowal government – environment and forest minister Pramila Rani Brahma and public health engineering minister Rihon Daimari.

Mohilary’s twist to Assam’s crusade against corruption has drawn criticism.

“His party, BPF, is a part of the government. Such remark, amounting to justification of what is happening around us, is not expected of him,” Pramod Bodo, president of All Bodo Students’ Union, said on Saturday.

A few days ago, chief minister Sonowal had appealed to the people to not bribe officials or government employees to get their job done.