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Kolkata: There were scenes of chaos at Salt Lake Stadium on Saturday as thousands gathered to catch a glimpse of football superstar Lionel Messi. Upset over poor management of the organisers, some of the fans even threw bottles at the stadium. This was Messi’s second visit to Kolkata.
The fans who gathered at the stadium had high expectations, but were left disappointed after Messi disappeared just after appearing for a few minutes at the stadium. This led to anger among the people, leading to the chaos in the stadium. The police later arrested event promoter Satadru.
The incident also drew criticism from political quarters. Speaking about the incident, BJP leader Shehzad Poonawala said, “Total embarrassment on an international stage. A global legend like Messi will see a massive public turnout and yet zero planning and very little security. CM Mamata Banerjee can’t even organise or manage an event. TMC leaders surrounded him, and fans were denied access. What if something had happened to fans or the guest?"
Seconding his view, another party leader, the incident occurred due to complete mismanagement. “A global legend, a massive public turnout, and yet zero planning. A total embarrassment on an international stage. Mamata can’t even organise or manage an event," Bhandari added.
While there were 50,000 spectators at the stadium, many of them reportedly paid Rs 4,000 to Rs 12,000 to have a glimpse of the Argentina star. Many of the spectators even paid around Rs 20,000 for the event.
Around 11:30 in the morning, Messi arrived at the stadium dressed in black. He soon stepped out of a white Audi to thunderous applause. Within minutes, the legend was surrounded by politicians, VIPs, and police officers forming a human blockade due to which the paying public was unable to have a glimpse of Messi.
Messi tried a slow circuit of the ground as he signed autographs for former players. Even as promoter Satadru Dutta repeatedly pleaded people to leave the ground, the appeal fell on deaf ears, and dignitaries continued to gather. Situations increased further after cricket legend Sourav Ganguly reached the stadium.
