Mamata Banerjee on Sunday instructed the Trinamul Congress to ask state correctional home minister Akhil Giri to resign amid a controversy over his rude behaviour with a woman forest officer in East Midnapore on Saturday.

TMC sources said such a punitive move against a cabinet minister was unprecedented after Mamata had become the chief minister in 2011.

Giri, who had earlier served as fisheries minister, told The Telegraph: "Our state president Subrata Bakshi asked me to resign. I have already prepared my resignation letter. I will e-mail the letter to our chief minister tonight and physically submit it on Monday."

Mamata is scheduled to be in the Assembly on Monday.

Subrata Bakshi, the TMC state president, on Sunday called up Giri, asking him to put down his papers as a cabinet minister and seek an unconditional apology from the forester. Although Giri agreed to resign, he said there was no question of seeking an apology from the woman officer.

"I will resign according to the instructions. I will not apologise to her (the forester). It was not right to speak in such a way, but whatever I did was to help the poor people of the area. I will be with those people," said Giri.

A senior TMC leader has said by removing Giri from her cabinet, Mamata has sent a clear message to her party colleagues that she will not tolerate such acts by any leader, even if he or she is a cabinet colleague.

From the July 21 Martyrs' Day rally, Mamata said her party wanted the bibekban (conscientious), instead of the bittoban (wealthy), and she would take action against those leaders accused of any kind of allegations irrespective of their positions.

"The move is not only to remove Giri from her cabinet but also to send a stern message to all that she would not tolerate such acts in the future," said a senior TMC leader in Calcutta.

Giri was accused of insulting, using abusive language and behaving indecently with the forest range officer who took action to remove encroachment from the forest land on the beach near Tajpur on Saturday.

The TMC MLA from East Midnapore's Ramnagar also said the officer would face action within seven to 10 days. Mamata had to apologise earlier for Giri's indecent comment on President Droupadi Murmu.

The BJP has asked why the state government did not take legal action against the minister accused of abusing a woman forester.

"I request the forest ranger to immediately file an FIR because this is a criminal offence. Akhil Giri has outraged the modesty of a woman and should be prosecuted according to the law. The Bengal BJP is ready to provide all necessary legal support to the officer if needed," said BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar.

The Forest Rangers' Association of West Bengal wrote a letter to Mamata Banerjee condemning the incident involving the woman officer and demanding necessary action.

Additional reporting by Saibal Gupta