- December 16, 2025
West Bengal Sports Minister Aroop Biswas Offers To Resign Over Kolkata Messi Event Mess
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The West Bengal government had initiated major administrative action following the mismanagement of the event.
Smoke erupts after chairs were set on fire amid chaos during an event of Argentine footballer Lionel Messi as part of his ‘G.O.A.T. India Tour 2025’, at Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata on December 13, 2025. (Image: PTI)
West Bengal Sports Minister Aroop Biswas on Tuesday offered to resign following alleged mismanagement during football icon Lionel Messi’s programme at Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Krirangan (VYBK), Salt Lake, on 13 December 2025. The Sports Minister wrote a letter to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and expressed his desire to resign.
The West Bengal government had initiated major administrative action following the mismanagement of the event. Based on a preliminary enquiry report dated December 15, 2025, the Director General of Police (DGP), West Bengal, Rajeev Kumar, was served a show-cause notice. He was asked to submit a clarification within 24 hours regarding the alleged mismanagement and lack of coordination with stakeholders, including the private organiser.
The Commissioner of Police, Bidhannagar, Mukesh Kumar, has also been show-caused and directed to explain within 24 hours the role of the Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate in managing the event.
Departmental proceedings have also been initiated against Aneesh Sarkar (IPS), Deputy Commissioner of Police, for alleged negligence of duty. He has been placed under suspension pending completion of the enquiry.
The Principal Secretary, Youth Affairs and Sports Department, Rajesh Kumar Sinha, has been issued a show-cause notice seeking clarification on the lapses and mismanagement during the programme.
In addition, the services of Deb Kumar Nandan, WBCS (Executive) (Retd.), CEO of VYBK, have been withdrawn with immediate effect for his role in the mismanagement.
The government has also constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to conduct a thorough probe into the incident. The SIT includes IPS officers Piyush Pandey, Javed Shamim, Supratim Sarkar, and Muralidhar.
The incident occurred on the day Messi’s India tour began from Kolkata, when large-scale disorder and vandalism were reported at the stadium. Several questions were raised over security arrangements, including how a large number of spectators entered the playing area and how water bottles were carried inside the stadium. These concerns prompted the government’s decision to take action.
Click here to add News18 as your preferred news source on Google. December 16, 2025, 14:43 IST
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