Messi event fiasco: CM Mamata Banerjee assumes charge of West Bengal sports after minister’s resignation
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Messi event fiasco: CM Mamata Banerjee assumes charge of West Bengal sports after minister’s resignation")
Photograph: (AFP)
Sports Minister Aroop Biswas stepped down from his post after massive chaos erupted during Messi's GOAT India tour in Kolkata.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday (Dec 16) took charge as Sports Minister of state, after Aroop Biswas tendered his resignation over controversy surrounding the mismanagement of global football icon Lionel Messi's Kolkata event. Biswas, who urged the CM to relieve him of his sports portfolio, will remain part of the Cabinet heading the power ministry of West Bengal.
Accepting her minister's resignation, an official statement from the CM read that "until and unless the impartial inquiry is over, the Sports Department will be looked after by me for the time being."
"As per the enclosed letter, I appreciate the sentiment and intention of the Sports Minister to offer a relief from the Sports Department for the sake of impartial inquiry into the Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Krirangan (VYBK) incident on December 13, 2025," according to an official statement from the state government.
Sports Minister Aroop Biswas stepped down from his post after massive chaos erupted during Messi's GOAT India tour in Kolkata. The state government ordered a probe into the incident by a special team comprising IPS officers Piyush Pandey, Javed Shamim, Supratim Sarkar and Muralidhar to find out the causes and fix responsibility for the ordeal.
The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) does not want to take chances of unfavourable public opinion ahead of the upcoming assembly elections. The Kolkata police have already arrested the organiser of the event, Satadru Dutta.
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Lionel Messi’s much-anticipated appearance in Kolkata, the opening stop of the GOAT Tour 2025, descended into disorder as crowd management faltered. What was billed as a celebration of the World Cup-winning football icon in a state known for its deep love of the game turned sour when the pitch was crowded with VIPs and politicians.
According to attendees, their presence blocked views of the Argentine star, leaving many fans frustrated and claiming they barely caught a glimpse of the footballer they had paid to see.
