Following pressure from his party, the Minister of State (independent charge) for Correctional Services Department, Akhil Giri, who was caught on camera using abusive language against a woman forest department officer, announced on Sunday that he would resign from his post. Mr Giri, speaking to media on Sunday afternoon in Kanthi, however made it clear that he has not apologised to the woman forest officer and will not do so in the future.
On Saturday, the minister allegedly abused the woman officer while she and her team were removing illegal encroachments at the Tajpur Sea resort in East Midnapore district. The video of the incident circulated on social media, prompting public outrage. In the wake of the incident, Trinamul Congress state president and Rajya Sabha member Subrata Bakshi had asked the minister to resign and apologise to the woman officer. He was also reportedly told that if he did not resign, he would be sacked from the council of ministers. This is an unprecedented example of the zero tolerance policy of the Trinamul Congress setting an example of stern action against a minister.
On Sunday, when asked about apologising, Mr Giri said: “I do not apologize to any government official. I have never apologised to an official in my political career, and there is no question of apologising now.” A video of Mr Giri’s heated exchange with the female forest officer surfaced on Saturday, in which the state’s correctional home minister is heard using derogatory language towards her. Within 24 hours of the incident coming to light, the party directed Mr Giri to resign from his ministerial post. Trinamul’s state president Subrata Bakshi also informed Mr Giri that he must publicly apologize to the woman he insulted. On Sunday, following this message from the state president, Mr Giri announced his decision to resign.
He stated: “The party believes my actions have tarnished its image. Therefore, I have been instructed to resign. I am a loyal party worker, so I will follow the party’s directive. My resignation letter is ready. I will email it today and submit it in person tomorrow.” However, while complying with one party directive, Mr Giri has made it clear that he will not follow the other directive. On Sunday, he said, “In the heat of the moment, we sometimes say things we later regret. If that’s considered a mistake, then it is my mistake.”
When asked about party leaders Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee advising restraint from the stage on 21 July, and whether his lack of restraint led to the party’s disciplinary action against him, Mr Giri responded that the party has also asked them to be humane, and he acted out of humanity. Regarding Mr Giri’s statement, Trinamul spokesperson Shantanu Sen said: “The party had unanimously given certain directives. Whether he follows them or not is his decision. However, the party’s next steps will be determined based on his actions. What those steps will be will be known once a decision is made.” Meanwhile, forest minister Birbaha Hansda said that she will submit a sealed report to chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday regarding the incident. Ms Handsa had earlier spoken to the officer over the phone.
The controversy began when forest department officials, following the chief minister’s orders, were obstructed by Mr Giri while trying to evict “illegal occupants” in Tajpur. In a heated exchange, Mr Giri was heard threatening the female officer, saying, “You have 7-8 days left, 10 days!” and using derogatory terms like “animal” and “insolent.” This sparked widespread debate and has now led to a report being submitted to the chief minister. Mr Giri has been under pressure within the Trinamul politics in East Midnapore, especially since BJP candidate Soumendu Adhikari led by 9,168 votes from his Ramnagar constituency in the recent Lok Sabha elections, despite Mr Giri winning by 12,517 votes in the 2021 Assembly elections. The incident has further compounded his troubles, placing the veteran MLA from Ramnagar in a difficult position both internally and externally.
Mr Giri has also come under fire from Opposition leaders over the incident, with BJP MLA from Asansol South, Agnimitra Paul, pointing out his previous derogatory comments about President Droupadi Murmu. Senior Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said Mr Giri should be immediately arrested for his misbehavior with a woman range official. CPM senior leader Sujan Chakraborty and BJP Rajya Sabha member Shamik Bhattacharya demanded his arrests