Kolkata: West Bengal Sports Minister Aroop Biswas submitted his resignation on Tuesday, taking moral responsibility for management lapses during the event featuring Argentine football star Lionel Messi at the Salt Lake Stadium on Saturday.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has accepted his resignation, Trinamool Congress spokesman and state General Secretary Kunal Ghosh said in a social media statement. While Ghosh claimed the information came from his sources, there was no official confirmation from the Chief Minister’s office. No announcement has yet been made regarding Biswas’ successor.
In his handwritten resignation letter in Bengali, Biswas stated that since the Chief Minister had set up a probe committee headed by a retired Calcutta High Court judge, he was resigning as Sports Minister to ensure the impartiality of the investigation. He added, “I hope you will approve my request in the matter.” Biswas, who also serves as the state Power Minister, will continue to remain a member of the state cabinet despite stepping down from the sports portfolio.
Biswas had faced scathing criticism from civil society and opposition parties over the chaos at Salt Lake Stadium, which included allegations of poor crowd control, damage to public property, and inadequate arrangements.
During the event, Biswas was present alongside Messi. Several spectators, civil society members, and opposition leaders alleged that as Biswas and his family surrounded the football star on the stadium ground, paying spectators were denied adequate access to the player.
These allegations intensified the political controversy, with opposition parties accusing the state government of gross mismanagement and preferential treatment during the high-profile event.
With IANS inputs