The chaotic scenes at Lionel Messi’s event at Salt Lake Stadium on Saturday triggered sharp political reactions in West Bengal, with the ruling Trinamool Congress and opposition parties launching strong attacks on the organisers and the state government. The much-anticipated programme descended into disorder after angry spectators vandalised parts of the stadium, alleging that they were denied a proper view of the global football icon despite paying hefty ticket prices.
Trinamool Congress spokesperson and state general secretary Kunal Ghosh demanded immediate action against the organisers, blaming their “overzealousness” and the presence of people crowding Messi to take selfies. He said this deprived spectators seated in the galleries of a clear view, leading to widespread frustration and anger.
Questioning the planning behind the event, Ghosh said the chaos forced Messi to leave the stadium prematurely and also prevented West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee from attending the programme and formally welcoming him on behalf of the state. Calling the episode a major disappointment for sports lovers, he recalled Messi’s 2011 visit to Kolkata, saying the earlier event was well-organised and showcased the city in a positive light.
The Bharatiya Janata Party blamed the state government for the mess. BJP state president and Rajya Sabha MP Samik Bhattacharya alleged that “fraudsters driven by greed” created the situation to make money. He accused Trinamool Congress leaders of backing self-promoting organisers who deprived genuine ticket holders of a proper glimpse of the football icon, thereby damaging the image of the state.
Union minister and senior BJP leader Sukanta Majumdar also criticised the Trinamool Congress and the state administration, holding them responsible for the breakdown of law and order during the high-profile event.
Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, launched a scathing attack on the government, alleging that ministers and leaders “clung to Messi like leeches” while fans who spent thousands of rupees were left watching the footballer briefly on giant screens. In a post on X, Adhikari accused Sports Minister Arup Biswas, Fire Minister Sujit Basu and the organisers of turning the programme into a money-making exercise. He demanded a full refund for gallery ticket holders, the arrest of those responsible and the resignation of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, alleging the incident embarrassed West Bengal globally.
The Congress also joined the criticism. West Bengal Congress president Subhankar Sarkar described the episode as a case of terrible mismanagement and a mockery of law and order. He alleged that tickets were sold at exorbitant prices in Messi’s name while the footballer was surrounded only by Trinamool Congress leaders and their family members. Sarkar further claimed that crores of public money were spent for photo opportunities, calling it a new-age scam, and demanded accountability from the organisers, ministers, police officials and the local MLA.
Congress spokesperson Suman Roy Chaudhuri echoed similar concerns, questioning the role of the police administration and demanding legal action. He alleged that the incident exposed what he termed the commercial face of the government.
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) also criticised the handling of the event. CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty termed the mismanagement a “black day” for West Bengal, blaming the Trinamool Congress government for failure of law and order. Drawing a comparison with the visits of football legend Diego Maradona during the Left Front regime, he alleged that profit-making took precedence over spectator safety and experience during Messi’s visit.
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