‘Will beat you up with a stick,’ Bengal Jail Minister Akhil Giri threatens woman forest officer during anti-encroachment drive

During the operation, Giri rushed to the spot and engaged in an altercation with the forest department team. He was seen 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 stick.”

After the video went viral, all parties including the Trinamool Congress criticised Giri.

Opposition BJP wrote on its X handle, “West Bengal Minister Akhil Giri threatens a lady Forest Officer because she was performing her duty to remove illegal encroachment in forest areas… Will Mamata Banerjee dare to throw out this Minister and put him behind bars? Will charges be filed against him for obstructing government workers and outraging the modesty of women? Let’s see if this goon is kicked inside the jail for threatening to indirectly kill and outrage the modesty of a woman.”

CPI(M) leader Shatarup Ghosh said, “More than half of TMC ministers are mafia and anti-social. So, we are not expecting better behaviour from them.”

Condemning Giri, TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said, “Such body language and language are not acceptable. The party is not approving such language. We are strongly condemning such language.”

He also wrote on his X handle, “I protest Akhil Giri’s comments and behaviour. It is undesirable. If he had something to say about the forest department, the minister could have told Birbaha Hansda (forest minister). Instead, the mistreatment of the female officer is unfortunate. But CPM, BJP have no right to talk about this. They have done much uglier things over and over again.”

This is not the first time Giri has found himself in a controversy. In 2022, he allegedly made uncharitable remarks on the appearance of President Droupadi Murmu. His statement had caused much uproar with tribal organisations hitting the streets in protest. That time, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had sought an apology from Giri to end the controversy.

Again, during this year’s Lok Sabha elections, Giri’s remarks on Governor C V Ananda Bose stoked a controversy.

Speaking at a public rally in East Midnapore, Giri said the governor has grown old and lost his cool due to the excessive heat.