Don’t even have FB account, says ULFAI chief after row over Bodo post

Abhijit Asom, chairman of the anti-talks faction of the banned United Liberation Front of Asom (Independent), has denied making anti-Bodo community remarks in a Facebook post.

Asom released a statement on Saturday following controversy over the post that threatened people of the Bodo community living outside Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) areas in Assam.

The ULFA(I) chairman said he did not even have a Facebook account and blamed some unknown persons for creating accounts on the social media platform using his name.

In the status posted on March 1, someone claiming to be Asom had threatened to ‘take care’ of Bodos outside BTC areas if the rights of non-tribal indigenous people living in the territorial council were affected in any manner. “Then (if we take such action) no one should blame us. This is our clear stand,” the post had stated.

Taking offence to the post, Pramod Boro, president of the All Bodo Students’ Union (ABSU), an influential students’ body in Assam, had targeted Asom.

In his statement, Asom urged Boro to verify who was behind “these fake posts” and urged the student leader not to react whether first knowing the authenticity of such posts.

Reacting to Asom’s statement, Boro said, “It is enough that a clarification has come.” But he said that the banned outfit had made such comments against Bodos earlier.

The controversy comes in the background of recent happenings in the BTC areas following a purported statement by council chief Hangrama Mohilary that land in BTC areas cannot be sold without the permission of the council. HTC

GUWAHATI: IN THE POST, SOMEONE CLAIMING TO BE ABHIJIT ASOM HAD THREATENED PEOPLE OF THE BODO COMMUNITY LIVING OUTSIDE BODOLAND TERRITORIAL COUNCIL