Messi's Kolkata tour descends into chaos, crowd resorts to vandalism after failing to see the star
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Lionel Messi’s brief visit to Kolkata on Saturday turned chaotic as angry fans broke security protocols after failing to catch a glimpse of the football star at Salt Lake Stadium.
What was meant to be a celebratory event ended abruptly amid vandalism, public outrage, and police intervention.
Messi appeared at the stadium for around 22 minutes during the first leg of his three-day India tour. Moments after he emerged from the tunnel, disorder broke out inside the venue. Fans who had paid between Rs 3,500 and Rs 14,000 for tickets began hurling bottles and damaging fibreglass seats. Police struggled to control the crowd as the situation spiralled.
Promoter Shatadru Dutta and security personnel were forced to whisk Messi away as the stadium descended into chaos.
Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan, former India cricket captain Sourav Ganguly, and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee were unable to participate in the programme as it was cut short.
Several fans expressed anger over what they described as poor planning and a lack of basic facilities. One fan told PTI that people had spent a month’s salary to see Messi, but could not even get a glimpse of him. He also complained about the absence of drinking water and alleged that security personnel were busy taking selfies.
Following the incident, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee issued a public apology to Messi and his fans.
She said she was shocked by the mismanagement at the stadium and announced a formal inquiry. An enquiry committee headed by retired Justice Ashim Kumar Ray, with the Chief Secretary and the Additional Chief Secretary of the Home and Hill Affairs Department as members, will probe the incident, fix responsibility, and recommend preventive measures.
Messi had arrived in Kolkata earlier in the day and unveiled a statue of himself before heading to the stadium, where thousands had gathered to see him. Many were left disappointed, triggering the unrest.
The BJP accused the ruling Trinamool Congress of mismanagement and political showmanship. Party spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala called the incident an embarrassment on an international stage. BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya described it as a huge disgrace and demanded the resignation of state sports minister Aroop Biswas.
The incident has caused significant embarrassment for the state government, with images of vandalism and crowd unrest overshadowing what was meant to be a landmark moment for football fans in Kolkata.