Kolkata, Dec 13: Chaos erupted at the Salt Lake stadium here on Saturday as thousands of fans protested after failing to get a clear glimpse of Argentine football icon Lionel Messi during a much-hyped event, prompting police to baton-charge and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to order a high-level enquiry.
What was billed as a marquee football spectacle turned into anger and disorder as Messi’s brief and tightly ring-fenced appearance, his first at the venue since 2011, left large sections of the crowd frustrated despite many having paid hefty sums for tickets.
Accompanied by long-time strike partner Luis Suárez and Argentine teammate Rodrigo De Paul, Messi, the World Cup-winning captain, arrived at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan around 11.30 am.
His vehicle was parked near the touchline, and as he stepped onto the field, he was quickly surrounded by VIPs, organisers, celebrities and security personnel, leaving spectators in the galleries straining for a view.
Messi walked a short distance on the pitch and waved briefly towards the stands amid loud chants of “Messi, Messi”. Fans, however, soon realised that the footballer remained tightly cordoned off and was barely visible from large sections of the stadium. Several spectators said even the giant screens failed to offer a clear view.
Frustration mounted when it became evident that Messi would not complete the full lap of the stadium that had been part of the original programme. Instead, he turned back midway and was escorted out well before the scheduled end of his appearance.
As word spread that the Argentine star had left the field prematurely, anger spilt over. Bottles and plastic chairs were hurled onto the pitch, sponsor banners and hoardings were torn down, fibreglass seats were smashed, and sections of the crowd attempted to rip open barricades to force their way onto the field.
Protesters were seen raising slogans demanding the arrest of state Sports Minister Aroop Biswas and event organiser Shatadru Datta, holding them responsible for what they alleged was gross mismanagement of the high-profile event.
The situation worsened after organisers, including Datta and his team, were no longer visible on the ground soon after Messi’s exit, eyewitnesses said.
Repeated announcements over the public address system asking unauthorised persons to leave the field went largely unheeded.
Within minutes, hundreds of spectators spilt onto the pitch, pulling down temporary tents and damaging equipment placed near the touchline. Police personnel struggled to contain the surging crowd, prompting the deployment of the Rapid Action Force inside the stadium.
“This was complete mismanagement,” said Ajay Shah, a football enthusiast who had come with his son.
“People have spent a month’s salary to see Messi. I paid Rs 5,000 for a ticket. We came to watch Messi, not politicians. There was no drinking water, and even the police were busy taking selfies,” he said.
Ticket prices for the event ranged between Rs 4,500 and Rs 10,000, with many fans arriving at the venue early in the morning in the hope of seeing the football legend up close.
The chaos also forced an abrupt curtailment of the programme, with several invited dignitaries, including Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan, former India cricket captain Sourav Ganguly and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, unable to participate as planned.
Police sources said the situation did not fully spiral out of control, only because Messi was taken out from the stadium earlier than scheduled, and additional security forces were rushed in, the eyewitnesses said.
Hours later, Banerjee expressed shock over the mismanagement and announced the constitution of a high-level enquiry committee.
In a post on X, she apologised to Messi and to sports lovers who had gathered at the stadium.
“I am deeply disturbed and shocked by the mismanagement witnessed today at Salt Lake stadium,” the chief minister said, adding that thousands of fans had assembled at the venue hoping to catch a glimpse of the World Cup-winning star.
The enquiry committee will be chaired by retired Calcutta High Court judge Justice Ashim Kumar Ray, with the chief secretary and the additional chief secretary of the Home and Hill Affairs department as members.
The panel will conduct a detailed enquiry into the incident, fix responsibility and recommend measures to prevent such occurrences in the future, Banerjee said.
“Once again, I extend my heartfelt apologies to all sports lovers,” Banerjee added.
Stating that it was a dark day for the sports-loving people of Kolkata, Governor CV Ananda Bose directed the state government to arrest the organiser of the event featuring Messi at the Salt Lake stadium for mismanagement.
Bose said that while the organisers of the event are to be blamed squarely for the situation, it is also the police that has “failed” the government, the people and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is also the home minister.
For a city that prides itself on its deep footballing culture, the scenes of broken chairs, ripped banners and angry fans stood in stark contrast to the promise of the day, as a much-anticipated Messi appearance ended in chaos at one of India’s largest football arenas.
