Mamata Banerjee, the chief minister of West Bengal, has publicly apologized to Lionel Messi and his supporters in Kolkata for the mayhem that occurred at his event this morning at Salt Lake Stadium. Banerjee declared that she was appalled by the “mismanagement” and directed an inquiry committee to look into what caused the terrifying turn of events.
“The poor administration at Salt Lake Stadium today has greatly troubled and shocked me. Banerjee, who was traveling to the stadium to attend the event, said, “I truly apologize to Lionel Messi, as well as to all sports lovers and his fans, for the unfortunate incident.”
Angry supporters breached security regulations and trashed the stadium this morning, unable to catch a sight of the Argentine star during his roughly 30-minute visit, inflicting tremendous embarrassment for the ruling Trinamool just months before the elections.
A team lead by a retired judge and comprised of top bureaucrats will now conduct a thorough investigation into the incident, the chief minister stated.
Mamata Banerjee tweet in Twitter (X.com)
I am deeply disturbed and shocked by the mismanagement witnessed today at Salt Lake Stadium. I was on my way to the stadium to attend the event along with thousands of sports lovers and fans who had gathered to catch a glimpse of their favourite footballer, Lionel Messi.
I…
— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) December 13, 2025
“I am forming an inquiry committee chaired by Justice (Retd.) Ashim Kumar Ray, which would include the Chief Secretary and the Additional Chief Secretary, Home and Hill Affairs Department. The committee will conduct a thorough investigation into the incident, determine culpability, and recommend actions to prevent similar incidents in the future,” stated her apologetic message.
Her party blamed the incident on a “crowd of hooligans” who “ashamed” Kolkata.
Messi, a hero for millions of football fans worldwide, landed in Kolkata early this morning on the first part of his three-day India tour. After presenting a statue of himself in the city, he made his way to Salt Lake Stadium, where his admirers had congregated to see their favorite footballer.
Many, however, were unable to attend, despite paying between Rs 3,500 and Rs 14,000 for a ticket, as the BJP accused “inept Trinamool leaders” of surrounding the player.
As hundreds of spectators crowded the field, irritation flared into violence. Some people tossed bottles and chairs. Vandalism of stadium infrastructure ensued, as police fought to maintain law and order. With the situation escalating out of control, Messi was taken away by the organisers of the ‘GOAT tour,’ which included promoter Shatadru Dutta.
Superstar Shah Rukh Khan, former India captain Sourav Ganguly, and Chief Minister Banerjee were unable to attend the ceremony, which was cut short due to turmoil.
At the ceremony, the BJP lashed into Banerjee, accusing her party of political one-upmanship and “sheer mismanagement”.
“Total disgrace on the international stage. A global legend like Messi will draw a big crowd, with little planning and very minimal security! “CM Mamata Banerjee cannot even organise or manage an event,” said BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala.
Amit Malviya, the BJP’s IT cell chairman, dubbed it a “huge disgrace” that will go down in history and demanded the state sports minister’s resignation.
“For bringing an international player like Messi to West Bengal, playing with the emotions of ordinary people, and pushing them towards such serious risk, the State Sports Minister, Aroop Biswas, must resign immediately,” he indicated.
In an attempt to defend itself against the allegations, the Trinamool attacked the organisers.
“Why was Messi encircled by a group of hooligans? Why wasn’t Messi kept alone on the stadium lap? Why were the gallery audience deprived? Did this improve Kolkata’s reputation? Why didn’t the incompetent organizers leave any evidence of basic planning? Is it just money? Is it just business? Everyone suffered as a result of the organizers’ actions and those of some hooligans. Kolkata was disgraced. The viewers’ outrage is understandable,” remarked Trinamool leader Kunal Ghosh.
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