Trinamool Congress leader and West Bengal Minister Akhil Giri has courted controversy after a video surfaced online where he was allegedly seen verbally abusing a female forest officer at Tajpur beach in Purba Medinipur district.
The altercation allegedly started after the forest administration reportedly carried out anti-encroachment drives to remove shop owners who had encroached on forest land. According to local sources, Mr. Giri, the State’s Correctional Administration Minister, supported the protests of the aggrieved shop owners.
‘Watch what happens’
“She (the forest officer) doesn’t want to listen to anybody. It seems she had come with the powers of the President [of India]. Just watch what happens to you this week. We are taking 25 feet [of forest land]. If you come here, you won’t be able to go back. You are a government employee, talk with your head down,” Mr. Giri allegedly said to the forest officer, surrounded by disgruntled shop owners.
The Minister also allegedly threatened the officer by saying she would not be able to live there for long if she did not cooperate with everyone. “Your life expectancy is not more than 10 days,” the Minister allegedly remarked, adding that he would expose corruption in the forest department in the State Assembly.
“These goons will ensure that you aren’t able to go home at night. Mend your ways, or else… I will beat you with a stick,” he also allegedly told the female officer.
Officer defends herself
In the video, the forest officer was heard saying she has nothing personal against the Minister or the shop owners, and that she is just doing her duty.
The West Bengal unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) shared the video on their X account and remarked saying: “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.”
Meanwhile, Trinamool leader Kunal Ghosh took to social media to oppose Mr. Giri’s behaviour and said the mistreatment of the female officer is unfortunate and that any grievances with the forest department should have been taken up with Forest Minister Birbaha Hansda. “But CPM, BJP have no right to talk about this. They have done much uglier things repeatedly,” Mr. Ghosh added.
Published - August 03, 2024 10:08 pm IST
