Bengal jail minister shown door for threatening female forest officer

The Trinamool Congress on Sunday asked West Bengal jails minister Akhil Giri to resign and apologise to a woman officer of the state forest department following a controversy over video clips showing him threatening and verbally abusing her.

Speaking to reporters at Kanthi in Purba Medinipur district, Giri said he will resign but won't apologise.

Giri, who is the MLA of Ramnagar within which the area is situated, was flanked by locals when he was seen in videos threatening forest ranger Manisha Sahu, warning her of reducing her tenure after she and her team removed encroachments on forest department land near Tajpur beach.

"Following party instructions, state president Subrata Bakshi called Akhil Giri on Sunday afternoon, instructing him to apologise to the woman officer and submit his resignation immediately," TMC spokesperson Shantanu Sen said.

Giri said there was "no question of apologising to any official," but he regretted his remarks made in an agitated state on Saturday. "I will email my resignation tonight and hand it over personally to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee tomorrow in the Assembly," he added.

Another TMC spokesperson Jaiprakash Majumdar emphasised that the party does not tolerate such behaviour from its members and acknowledged that Giri's outburst had somewhat tarnished the party's image.

"We have learnt that he has decided to resign," he said.

Giri said he will continue to serve as an MLA even after resigning as a minister and will advocate for people in his constituency.

He reiterated his criticism of forest officials, claiming they lacked compassion by removing small traders who sold goods to tourists near the beach town, which is close to the more popular seaside resort town of Digha.

Giri also alleged that the officials had previously permitted the sheds in exchange for monetary considerations.

Forest Minister Birbaha Hansda said she had spoken to Sahu over the phone after the incident.

Incidentally, two years ago in 2022, Giri's controversial remarks about President Droupadi Murmu were severely criticised.

TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee had to apologise for Giri's "derogatory remark" after a massive uproar by the Opposition.

Majumdar argued that opposition parties, particularly the BJP, should not criticise the forest range officer issue, noting that the saffron party has not acted against its own leaders accused of making offensive remarks about women.

He claimed that while the TMC is committed to taking strong action against its members for such behaviour, the BJP does not exhibit the same resolve.

Slamming Giri for his attitude towards a woman officer, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday demanded that the minister be arrested and put behind the bars.

"Will Mamata Banerjee dare to throw out this minister and put him behind the 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," the BJP posted on X.