Fact Check: Pictures showing man sleeping on a pile of Rs 500 notes is Benjamin Basumatary expelled from UPPL in January
Controversial photographs of Benjamin Basumatary became viral on social media platforms showing the Assam politician sleeping on Rs 500 currency notes spread on a bed, wearing just a towel.
The social media users shared the photographs with the claim: “BJP’s Assam alliance partner United People's Party Liberal (UPPL) leader Pramod Boro was found sleeping on a pile of Rs 500 currency notes. But @dir_ed Will not raid at his residence.”
In other way Indian National Congress (INC) posted this picture on their social media page on March 27, 2024 with a caption
“नोटों के बीच लेटे हुए शख्स का नाम है बेंजामिन बसुमतारी बेंजामिन UPPL पार्टी का सक्रिय नेता है । UPPL असम में BJP का अहम सहयोगी दल है ।
चुनाव के बीच आई यह तस्वीर बताती है कि BJP और उसके सहयोगी दल भ्रष्टाचार के दलदल में लोट रहे हैं।
BJP ने चुन चुनकर उन लोगों के साथ गठबंधन किया है, जो उनकी तरह देश को लूट सके” ।
When translated, it reads: “The name of the person lying on a pile of currency notes is Benjamin Basumatary. Benjamin is an active leader of UPPL party,
an important ally of BJP in Assam. This picture, which came amid elections, shows that BJP and its allies are wallowing in corruption.
BJP has selectively made alliance with those people who can loot the country like them.”
Also Assam Congress shared the same photographs with a caption:
“বিৰোধীৰ ওপৰত ৰাজনৈতিক অস্ত্ৰ হিচাপে ব্যৱহাৰ হোৱা EDৰ চকু পৰিব নে? UPPL কর্মী তথা VCDCৰ অধ্যক্ষ বেঞ্জামিন বসুমতাৰীয়ে শোৱে টকাৰ ওপৰত”
When we translate it to English we found “Will the ED catch sight of the opposition being used as a political weapon? UPPL Leader and VCDC chairman Benjamin Basumatary sleeps on money”.
Fact Check: We found the claim is misleading; the man sleeping on bed with a heap of Rs 500 notes is actually Benjamin Basumatary.
But he has not been associated with UPPL (United People's Party Liberal Since 10th January, 2024.
When we searched the viral key words BTR's Pramod Boro we found “Promod Boro is an politician serving as the president of The United People's Party Liberal (UPPL) since 25 February 2020 and Chief Executive Member of Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR), an autonomous region in Assam since 15 December 2020.
When we compared Both the Photographs the Viral One with the Pramod Boro, we found both pictures are different. So from this point we are confirming that as per claim Pramod Boro is not in the viral Photographs.
To find out whether the person seen in the viral image is Benjamin Basumatary or not !
On further investigation when we searched the key frames using Google reverse image we found on 28th March 2024 a digital creator Tangla Smart City posted a reaction video of Benjamin Basumatary.
In the Video he informs “Claimed the photo was an old one and was deliberately made viral ahead of Lok Sabha polls”.
The United Peoples Party Liberal, which is part of the BJP-led ruling coalition in Assam, posted a statement in their official Social media account “We have noticed that a photo of Benjamin Basumatry is being widely circulated on social media. We wish to clarify that Mr. Basumatry has not been associated with UPPL since his suspension on 10th January, 2024”.
Also President of United People’s Party Liberal Pramod Boro shared a post “We want to clarify that Mr. Basumatry is no longer associated with UPPL as he was suspended from the party on 10th January, 2024”.
Hindusthan Times Published an article on 27th March 2024 “Benjamin Basumatary said the photo was taken five years ago by his friends at a party”.
As per Press Trust of India “Suspended UPPL member's photo of sleeping with bundles of money stirs row”
Hence the Claim is false, the politician sleeping on Rs 500 currency notes spread on a bed, wearing just a towel is Benjamin Basumatary not Promod Boro. Also Mr. Basumatry has not been associated with UPPL since 10th January, 2024.