Bengal Jail Minister Akhil Giri to resign day after threatening woman forest officer, Opposition wants him jailed

Speaking to reporters at Kanthi in Purba Medinipur district, Giri said: “The party’s image may have been tarnished because of my remarks. So, the party asked me to resign. I will send my resignation letter to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee tomorrow (Monday in the Assembly. That is not a big thing for me. I will remain a normal foot soldier and MLA of the party.”

Regretting for making the remarks, Giri, who is the TMC MLA from Ramnagar, said he said it in an “agitated” state.

“It may be true that I used some foul language which tarnished the image of the party, but my fight for those families will go on. Our leader Mamata Banerjee said in the July 21 rally that ‘aami bittoban chai na, bibekbaan chai (I don’t want rich, I want morally strong people)’. What morality has been shown by the forest department? They are trying to oust 22 poor families who were staying there for years. My fight for them will go on,” Giri added, referring to Saturday’s incident when a Forest Department team, led by a woman forest officer, tried to clear encroachment in Tajpur in Purba Medinipur district.

Earlier in the day, state TMC chief Subrata Bakshi asked Giri to resign from the council of ministers and also directed him to apologise to the officer, saying the party doesn’t approve of his behaviour.

Soon after the video of Giri verbally abusing the woman went viral on Saturday, TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said: “Such behaviour and language are not acceptable. The party doesn’t approve of it. We strongly condemn it.

In the purported video of the incident, Giri is seen threatening an on-duty woman forest officer, who was heading a team tasked with clearing encroachments in Tajpur in Purba Medinipur district. In the video, Giri, accompanied by a group of local residents, is seen purportedly telling the woman forest officer, “You are a government employee, bow down your head (in front of me) while speaking. See what happens to you within a week…. These goons… will ensure that you aren’t able to go home at night. Mend your ways, or else… I will beat you with a danda (stick).”

The woman officer, Manisha Sahu, later told mediapersons, “We went to free forest land which was encroached forcefully even after our repeated warnings.”

Sources said that Forest Minister Birbaha Hansda contacted the woman official and took note of the entire incident.

Meanwhile, the Opposition said that sacking the minister was “not enough” and the MLA should be put behind bars. Congress leader Adhir Chowdhury said, “What he (Giri) did, he should be arrested immediately.”

The BJP posted on X, “ With Giri threatening to kill and ‘teach lesson’ to a woman government officer and openly saying that he won’t apologise, TMC needs to throw him out of the party and put him behind the bars, otherwise it’s all mere hogwash.”

CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty said, “Giri should be arrested. The TMC basically wants to manage the situation.” The TMC countered it saying, “The party has asked him to resign. The TMC has maintained its rajdharma.”

This is not the first time that Giri has kicked up a controversy. Two years ago, he was criticised for his remark on President Droupadi Murmu. “He (BJP MLA Suvendu Adhikari) says I am ugly. How beautiful are you? We don’t judge anyone by their appearance. We respect the office of the President (of India). But how does our President look?”