Kolkata: A day after Trinamool Congress (TMC) Correctional Homes minister Akhil Giri abused and threatened a woman officer of forest department, West Bengal government on Sunday had asked Giri to ‘apologize and resign’ from his ministerial post.
TMC spokesperson Shantanu Sen said following TMC Supremo Mamata Banerjee’s instruction, TMC state president Subrata Bakshi had called Giri and asked him to apologize to the woman and then resign.
According to party sources, it was decided that if Giri doesn’t resign, he will be dropped from his ministerial post by the cabinet.
Talking to the media, Giri agreed to resign but doesn’t want to apologize from any state government official.
“Maybe what I said was incorrect but apologizing from any official is out of question. I will email my resignation tonight and will personally handover the same to party Supremo Mamata Banerjee in the Legislative Assembly,” said Giri.
TMC state vice president Jaiprakash Majumdar said that the comments of Giri had ‘tarnished’ the party's image and also that TMC doesn’t ‘tolerate’ such acts.
Incidentally, in 2022 Giri made a controversial statement about President Droupadi Murmu, and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had to apologize for the comment.
In a video Giri on Saturday was seen threatening and verbally abusing a woman forest officer Manisha Shaw, who was clearing the ‘illegal’ encroachments.
Asked about her take on TMC’s decision to remove Giri from the ministerial post to which Manisha said that it is the decision of the political party concerned.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state president and MoS, Sukanta Majumdar dared that TMC should ‘arrest’ Giri.
“BJP is ready to support all legal help to the woman if she files any case against Giri in police station. The words which Giri was heard saying to a woman are very derogatory,” said Majumdar.
