Bengal Sports Minister quits over Messi event vandalism

Kolkata: West Bengal Sports Minister Aroop Biswas Tuesday submitted his resignation, taking moral responsibility for the lapses in management in the event featuring Argentine football star Lionel Messi at the Salt Lake Stadium here on Saturday.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has accepted his resignation, Trinamool Congress spokesman and state General Secretary, Kunal Ghosh, said in a social media statement.

In his social media post, Ghosh had claimed that the event of the Chief Minister accepting the resignation of Biswas had been as per information passed down by his sources. However, there was no official confirmation from the Chief Minister’s office on this count.

At the same time, no announcement has been made so far about Biswas’ successor.

In his handwritten resignation letter in Bengali, Biswas claimed that since the Chief Minister had formed a probe committee headed by a retired judge of the Calcutta High Court, he is resigning as state Sports Minister for the sake of impartiality of the investigation to be carried out by it.

“I hope you will approve my request in the matter,” read the resignation letter from Biswas, who is also the state Power Minister. This means that despite resigning as the Sports Minister, Biswas will continue to be a member of the state cabinet.

Biswas had been the main target of scathing criticism from all quarters, including civil society and opposition parties, over the chaos at Salt Lake Stadium last week following severe management lapses.

The event had witnessed chaos and disorder, with allegations of poor crowd control, damage to public property, and a lack of proper arrangements, triggering widespread criticism from spectators and civil society groups.

Biswas was present at the stadium alongside Messi during the event. Several spectators, members of civil society, and leaders of opposition parties have alleged that as Biswas and his family members surrounded the football star on the stadium ground, spectators who had purchased tickets at high prices were denied adequate access to the football icon.

These allegations added to the political controversy surrounding the event, with opposition parties accusing the state government of gross mismanagement and preferential treatment.