West Bengal state correctional administration minister Akhil Giri.
Credit: X/@BJP4WestBengal
Kanthi (WB): West Bengal minister Akhil Giri was on Saturday seen threatening and verbally abusing a woman official of the state forest department and her team members after they removed encroachments from the department's land near Tajpur sea beach in Purba Medinipur district.
Giri, who is the Ramnagar MLA of the TMC, was flanked by locals as he was seen in videos telecast by television channels threatening the woman official, identified as Moumita Sahu, of "cutting down her stay" there.
The incident has sparked a controversy, with the TMC lambasting the minister for his behaviour and saying the party has no support for his remarks.
"A few shops had been set up illegally on the forest department land near the beach in Tajpur. These establishments were so close to the sea that they got submerged during high tides. On Friday night, these shops were removed," a senior official of the state forest department said.
After learning about the anti-encroachment operation, Giri, accompanied by local traders, reached the spot and confronted the forest department officials on Saturday.
"The forest department officials removed several shops on Friday night. Many constructions have taken place on forest land, but the department could not do anything against them. The forest department is disturbing these poor people," Giri told PTI.
When contacted, Sahu declined to comment anything on Giri threatening her and her colleagues.
Sources said state Forest Minister Birbaha Hansda contacted the woman official and took note of the entire incident.
TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh, while speaking to journalists, said that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and TMC general secretary Abhishek Banerjee were both keeping an eye on the matter.
"We oppose Giri's words and behaviour. It is undesirable. If he had something to say about the forest department, he could have told Birbaha Hansda. Instead, the mistreatment of the woman officer is unfortunate. Our party does not endorse that. Party chief Mamata Banerjee and general secretary Abhishek Banerjee are keeping a tab on the matter," Ghosh said.
Incidentally, two years back, Giri's controversial remarks on President Droupadi Murmu were severely criticised.
Giri was seen in a video clip commenting on the looks of the President during an open meeting at Nandigram.