Since turning into West Bengal chief minister in 2011, TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee could by no means have confronted a state of affairs the place she must return to her Kalighat residence in Kolkata with out reaching her vacation spot. Nonetheless, issues modified on December 13 when chaos erupted at Yuva Bharati Krirangan (Salt Lake Stadium) throughout an occasion for world soccer famous person Lionel Messi, forcing him to return mid-way.
In response to the chaos, Mamata took numerous steps, a few of which have been unprecedented. Inside an hour of the incident, the CM issued an apology, arrange an inquiry committee headed by former Calcutta Excessive Court docket decide Justice Asim Kumar Ray, and arrested the occasion’s organizer, Shatadul Dutta.
“Very upset and shocked by the mismanagement witnessed at present on the Salt Lake Stadium. I sincerely apologize to Lionel Messi and all sports activities lovers and his followers for the unlucky incident,” Mamata wrote in X on December 13.
Within the subsequent 72 hours, the federal government issued ‘present trigger’ notices to state police chief Rajiv Kumar and Vidhannagar police chief Mukesh Kumar, whereas departmental proceedings have been initiated towards DCP Aneesh Sarkar.
A couple of days later, the CM was additionally compelled to just accept the resignation of Sports activities Minister Arup Biswas, considered one of his aides who was on the middle of controversy over his photograph shoot with Messi.
As pictures and movies of the Salt Lake Stadium vandalism flooded social media, Biswas on Monday tendered his resignation as sports activities minister “to make sure a good investigation.” Asking Mamata to satisfy her request, she mentioned, “You (CM) have already shaped a workforce to research the chaos throughout Messi’s go to to Kolkata. I wish to resign from my submit as sports activities minister in order that the investigation is honest.”
TMC sources mentioned a bit of the social gathering management was upset with Biswas’s transfer. “Though it was not made public, many individuals internally questioned his position. Mr. Biswa’s inclusion of Tollywood actresses, relations of politicians, and even some media heads drew criticism not solely on social media but additionally inside the social gathering,” the supply mentioned.
Sources mentioned the fiasco of such a high-profile occasion had infuriated Mamata and the general public’s anger towards the occasion organizers and Biswa, coupled with the looting of the stadium, had made her anxious.
anger of younger individuals
TMC officers near the CM mentioned she was compelled to behave swiftly as dissatisfaction over the chaos unfold not solely to the spectators who paid dearly to catch a glimpse of Messi, but additionally to the city youth on the whole. “On condition that the incident occurred months earlier than the 2026 meeting polls, she did not need to take any possibilities,” the supply mentioned.
A senior social gathering official identified that many names of younger individuals from city areas have been deleted within the Particular Intensive Revision (SIR) of the state’s electoral rolls, which is presently being carried out by the Election Fee (EC). “We do not need to irritate their anger additional and let it snowball. Subsequently, rapid motion was taken. Even the DGP was not spared,” the chief mentioned.
One other TMC official mentioned Mamata had executed every little thing she may within the shortest potential time. “Nonetheless, we noticed how the youth have been reacting on social media and expressing their anger towards the sports activities minister and his supporters. This was very embarrassing for the federal government and the social gathering. The CM acknowledged that stricter measures have been wanted and instantly made a name. She has additionally listened to the bottom and is conscious of the feelings that soccer has among the many youth,” he added.
TMC leaders additionally identified that the social gathering had realized classes from the August 8 final yr RG Khar rape and homicide case that grabbed nationwide consideration. At the same time as anger continued to smolder on the streets, the federal government lastly sacked the then Kolkata police chief, Vineet Goyal, on September 17.
Admitting that the Messi episode had “tarnished the status of Bengal at dwelling and overseas”, Diamond Harbor MP and TMC nationwide normal secretary Abhishek Banerjee mentioned on Wednesday: “There was negligence on the a part of the organizers, however nobody can deny the negligence of the police and administration…The CM apologized inside an hour of the incident. No different CM has executed one thing like this. We also needs to see the state authorities’s motion.”
Banerjee additionally identified the congestion at Maha Kumbh Mela station in Prayagraj and New Delhi railway station. “Have you ever questioned these in energy? Motion is being taken towards everybody in Bengal, from stadium authorities to cops,” he instructed reporters in Delhi.
A number of individuals have been additionally arrested in reference to the vandalism on the stadium.
Opposition events have demanded the arrest of Biswas and Hearth Minister Sujit Bose and termed Mamata’s transfer as an “try and cowl up the incident and divert consideration”.
“That is only a drama. The sports activities minister wrote a paper letter to the CM expressing her resignation and he or she accepted it. Why not arrest the minister? As an alternative, the federal government arrested the youth. This incident has made us ashamed,” mentioned Bharatiya Janata Occasion chief Samik Bhattacharya.
Chief of Opposition in Parliament (LoP) Suvendu Adhikari was prevented from getting into the Salt Lake Stadium to take inventory of the state of affairs.
CPI(M) spokesperson Shatarap Ghosh additionally referred to as Biswas’ resignation a “drama”. “He has resigned solely as sports activities minister however continues to carry two different portfolios… What concerning the different minister Bose who was with Messi for greater than half an hour? Will he not resign and never be questioned? We’re additionally demanding an investigation into Dutta’s banking transactions for the final six months. We now have heard that influential TMC leaders have supplied funds to him,” he added.
