New Delhi [India], December 17 (ANI): West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose on Tuesday pulled up the state government for the chaos and vandalism at Lionel Messi’s event at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata, saying that the CEO of Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Krirangan (VYBK) tried to hide the truth.
Bose faced obstruction when he attempted to enter the stadium, with the gates closed and the lights switched off. Deb Kumar Nandan, CEO, Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Krirangan (VYBK), WBCS (Exe) (Retd.) was withdrawn with immediate effect after the Messi event chaos.
Speaking with ANI, Bose said, “This is very necessary because, as governor, when I went there, the CEO showed that the gates were closed for the governor, and the lights were switched off. Not only was there a total mismanagement of the event, but there was also an attempt to hide the truth…”
The Governor welcomed the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the incident, saying people have the right to know the truth. He also supported the state government’s decision to issue show cause notices to senior officials, including DGP Rajeev Kumar and CP Mukesh Kumar, holding them accountable for the mismanagement.
The chief organiser, Satadru Dutta, has been arrested, and his accounts frozen. The government has also approved refunds for ticket holders.
“That is a step in the right direction. People have the right to know the truth. I hope the SIT will be able to bring out the truth to the public,” said Bose.
West Bengal Government issued a show cause notice to Rajeev Kumar, DGP, West Bengal, Mukesh Kumar, CP, Bidhannagar, and Rajesh Kumar Sinha, Principal Secretary, Youth Affairs & Sports Department.
Bose revealed that he had made 14 recommendations to the government, with action taken on five, including arresting the chief organiser, freezing their accounts, and refunding ticket amounts. He stressed that those responsible for the fiasco should be held accountable.
“Those responsible for the fiasco should all be held accountable. This was brought to the government’s notice yesterday itself. First, a judicial inquiry is required. The state government has engaged a retired judge in an investigation. The other suggestion was that the organisers had to be arrested. The chief organiser has been arrested, and others are to be arrested as well. The third was to refund the ticket amount paid by the common man. The government has also approved that… Another thing is to freeze the account of the main organiser… 14 recommendations have been given to the government, and action has been taken on five of them…,” said the West Bengal Governor.
The controversy erupted after Messi’s Kolkata appearance, the first stop of the GOAT India Tour 2025, descended into chaos, with fans alleging that VIPs and politicians crowded the pitch, preventing spectators from getting a clear view of the football icon. Angry fans vandalised parts of the stadium, accusing organisers of poor planning and mismanagement.
In the fallout, Sports Minister Aroop Biswas resigned, and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accepted it. The state government has constituted an SIT comprising IPS officers Piyush Pandey, Javed Shamim, Supratim Sarkar and Muralidhar to conduct a thorough investigation.
Messi later completed the remaining legs of his India tour, visiting Hyderabad, Mumbai and Delhi, before departing from Jamnagar after a stop at the Vantara animal sanctuary. (ANI)
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