The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has demanded the resignation of West Bengal Jails Minister Akhil Giri after a video surfaced showing him threatening a female officer of the state forest department. The incident has sparked widespread outrage and criticism.
TMC state president Subrata Bakshi instructed Giri to apologize to the woman officer and submit his resignation. Party spokesperson Shantanu Sen confirmed that the party does not condone such behavior and admitted that Giri’s actions have damaged the party’s reputation.
In the video, Giri, surrounded by locals, can be seen threatening forest ranger Manisha Sahu, warning her that her tenure could be shortened after she and her team cleared encroachments on forest department land near Tajpur beach. This isn’t the first time Giri has been in the spotlight for controversial remarks. In 2022, he faced intense criticism for making offensive comments about President Droupadi Murmu. The TMC leader, Mamata Banerjee, had to apologize for his comments following significant backlash from the opposition.
Giri, the MLA of Ramnagar, where the incident occurred, has announced his resignation but refused to apologize. He stated that he would hand over his resignation to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in the Assembly. While stepping down from his ministerial post, he intends to remain an MLA and continue representing his constituency.
Giri defended his actions, accusing forest officials of being insensitive for evicting small traders who sold goods to tourists near the beach. He also claimed that villagers informed him that officials had previously allowed the sheds to operate in exchange for bribes.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has condemned Giri’s actions, demanding his arrest. The party questioned whether Mamata Banerjee would take action against Giri for obstructing government workers and outraging the modesty of a woman. The BJP also used the incident to criticize the TMC government, calling Giri a “goon” and demanding that he be jailed for threatening the forest officer.
The incident has brought the TMC under scrutiny, forcing the party to take action against its own member. Giri’s resignation, while a step towards addressing the controversy, has sparked further questions about his continued involvement in politics despite facing multiple allegations of misconduct.
