'Deeply Disturbed, Sincerely Apologise To Lionel Messi:' Mamata Banerjee On Salt Lake Stadium Disturbance
Banerjee said she was on her way to the stadium along with thousands of sports lovers and fans who had gathered to catch a glimpse of the football icon.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has expressed deep shock over the mismanagement witnessed at Salt Lake Stadium during Lionel Messi’s event. In a statement, she said she was on her way to the stadium along with thousands of sports lovers and fans who had gathered to catch a glimpse of the football icon.
The Chief Minister apologised to Lionel Messi and to all sports lovers and fans for the unfortunate incident. She also announced the formation of an enquiry committee under the chairmanship of Justice (Retd.) Ashim Kumar Ray, with the Chief Secretary and the Additional Chief Secretary, Home and Hill Affairs Department, as members.
The committee will conduct a detailed enquiry, fix responsibility, and recommend measures to prevent such incidents in the future.
BJP IT Cell chief Amit Malviya has termed the chaos at Salt Lake Stadium a “huge disgrace,” saying it will remain etched in history.
Malviya said that due to extremely poor management, Messi could not even stay for the programme and was taken away, triggering anger among the crowd that led to vandalism inside the stadium. He said it was fortunate that no major tragedy occurred.
Holding the state government responsible, Malviya demanded the immediate resignation of West Bengal Sports Minister Aroop Biswas, accusing him of playing with public emotions and putting people at serious risk.
This incident comes amid Messi's GOAT India Tour 2025. Lionel arrived with long-time strike partner Luis Suárez and Argentina teammate Rodrigo De Paul. During his tour, he will be meeting chief ministers, corporate leaders, Bollywood celebrities and eventually Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 15.
He has previously visited India in 2011, when he led the Argentina national team in a match against Venezuela. The match took place at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata.
