Kolkata: The Trinamul Congress on Sunday directed correctional services minister Akhil Giri to resign and apologise unconditionally to a woman forest range officer for verbally abusing her.
Giri, the Ramnagar MLA, agreed to resign and gave up his official car. He however refused to apologise unconditionally to the officer. He came under the scanner on Saturday when a video of his abusing the officer surfaced in the media.
TMC vice-president Joyprakash Majumdar said, “The way the minister behaved with a lady officer was not accepted and endorsed by our party. This has tarnished our party's image. Our party president Subrata Bakshi, on the instructions of the top leadership, asked him to send his resignation as a minister to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and apologise unconditionally to the officer.”
Giri said, “The image of our party and government is getting affected by my acts as I'm a Cabinet member. So our party asked me to step down as a minister. I have to follow it. Mr Bakshi told me about it.”
Giri added, “I will email my resignation letter to the CM at night. I will also submit a copy to her at the Assembly. I regret what I told the officer angrily. But I don't regret my resignation because I feel I might have made a mistake while fighting for the people.”
Majumdar added, “We came to know that the minister has decided to resign. A process is involved when a minister submits his resignation which is the prerogative of the CM to accept and forward to the Governor for approval.”
The state BJP alleged that the TMC was attempting to mitigate the damage as Giri had not been asked to resign from the party or as MLA nor was he facing legal action “following his sexist remarks and threats of violence towards a woman government officer. This behaviour seems to be inspired by none other than Mamata Banerjee.”
It claimed, “In February 2013, Mamata herself suggested that police officer K.K. Dwivedi should be whipped for delaying her car at the Kolkata Book Fair gate. If Giri is asked to resign, why should the Chief Minister and police minister be exempt? Are the laws different for Giri and Mamata Banerjee?”
