Mamata Banerjee on Monday said the resignation of minister of state for correctional administration (independent charge) Akhil Giri had been accepted.

Trinamool Congress state president Subrata Bakshi had asked the MLA from East Midnapore to either resign or apologise to a woman forest ranger for using foul language against her on Saturday.

“I have news to share with you. Akhil Giri’s resignation has been accepted,” the chief minister told reporters in her chamber in the Assembly on Monday.

Giri, who had sent his resignation via email on Sunday evening, came to the Assembly on Monday to meet the chief minister and personally hand over his resignation letter to her. But after he failed to meet her, Giri sent in his resignation to the chief secretary.

Speaking to the media in front of the Assembly, the Ramnagar MLA said: “The party gave me two options — resign or face dismissal. I resigned. I can apologise to the chief minister but not to a public servant.”

Admitting his choice of words was not appropriate, Giri said: “I know what they do and I shall write everything to the chief minister. I should not have used those words but I shall expose their corruption. I am still an MLA and shall do my duty till 2026.”

Giri was angry with the forester after she had taken action to remove encroachments from forest land near Tajpur.