Ministers can take bribes: BJP’s Assam ally chief tells MLAs

GUWAHATI: Bodoland People’s Front caused embarrassment to ally BJP after its chief Hagrama Mohilary on Saturday said ministers should accept bribe if offered.

GUWAHATI: Bodoland People’s Front caused embarrassment to ally BJP after its chief Hagrama Mohilary on Saturday said ministers should accept bribe if offered.

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“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.

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 is a part of the government. Such remarks are not expected of him,” Pramod Bodo, president of All Bodo Students’ Union, said.