Political Slugfest Over Rampage at Lionel Messi’s Kolkata Event
Here’s a summary of the key points from the article:
* Chaos at Messi’s Kolkata Event: A crowd of 50,000 spectators at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata rioted after Lionel Messi left quickly due to alleged mismanagement. Tickets ranged from ₹4,500 to ₹18,000.
* Political Blame Game: The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) adn the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are blaming each other for the incident.
* TMC’s Allegations: TMC alleges that BJP supporters, identifiable by saffron flags and “Jai Sri Ram” slogans, were involved in the vandalism and are trying to defame the ruling party ahead of the 2026 assembly polls. They question the presence of BJP MLA Ashok Dinda at the stadium.
* BJP’s Counter-Allegations: BJP accuses TMC ministers (Aroop Biswas and Sujit Bose) and even the Chief Minister’s family of prioritizing selfies with messi over allowing ticket-holders to see him. They allege financial misconduct and call for the ministers’ arrest.
* Inquiry Launched: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has apologized and ordered an inquiry headed by a retired High Court judge.
* Organizer in Custody: The event organizer, Satadru Dutta, is in police custody for 14 days, but his lawyer claims he is being framed and was onyl responsible for a children’s interaction with Messi.
* Short Visit: Messi’s appearance lasted only 22 minutes.
* Unverified Claims: The article notes that the authenticity of circulated photos and videos hasn’t been independently verified.
In essence, the event was marred by chaos and has quickly become a political flashpoint in West Bengal.