‘Shameful for Bengal, Mamata should take responsibility’: BJP on Messi event chaos

The BJP termed the chaos at the Lionel Messi event in Kolkata as “shameful for West Bengal” and demanded Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee take responsibility. The unrest forced police action and led to Messi leaving early, prompting a judicial probe.

Kolkata: The BJP on Sunday said that the mega event held at Salt Lake Stadium on the northern outskirts of Kolkata, featuring Argentine football star Lionel Messi, was a “shameful” incident for West Bengal.

The party demanded that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee take responsibility for the chaos and mismanagement that unfolded at the event.

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The incident happened on Sunday when agitated spectators, angered over limited access to Messi despite purchasing tickets at what they described as exorbitant prices, went on a rampage inside the stadium.

With the situation spiralling out of control, police were forced to resort to a large-scale lathi charge and deploy personnel from the Rapid Action Force (RAF) to restore order. In the wake of the unrest, Messi left the stadium earlier than scheduled.

Speaking to IANS, BJP leader Dilip Ghosh said, “The incident is shameful for West Bengal. Mamata Banerjee should take responsibility; merely apologising will not be enough. Those who came there after spending money should be compensated.”

“Everyone responsible must be punished, and legal action should be taken, whether it is the police, officials, or the ministers who were present on the dais. All of them should face legal proceedings,” he added.

Meanwhile, earlier on Saturday, Satadru Dutta, the principal organiser of the event, was arrested by police personnel at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata while he was attempting to leave the city.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was on her way to the stadium at the time of the incident. However, after being informed about the ruckus and vandalism, she instructed her driver to turn back. Shortly thereafter, the Chief Minister announced the constitution of a judicial committee to probe the mismanagement that led to the chaos.

“The committee will conduct a detailed inquiry into the incident, fix responsibility, and recommend measures to prevent the recurrence of such incidents in future. Once again, I extend my heartfelt apologies to all sports lovers,” the Chief Minister said in a statement.