West Bengal Sports Minister Arup Biswas resigns after chaos at Messi event

West Bengal Sports Minister Arup Biswas resigned on Tuesday, December 16, following widespread chaos during football superstar Lionel Messi’s much-awaited visit to Kolkata last week. In his resignation letter to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Biswas cited the ongoing investigation into mismanagement of the program as the reason for leaving the post.

The event took place on December 13 at the Salt Lake Stadium (Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan), Messi’s first visit to Kolkata in 14 years as part of the GOAT India Tour 2025. What was intended to be a grand celebration soon turned into chaos, with vandalism, disappointed fans and a political clash between the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) making headlines.

Several invited dignitaries, including Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan, former India cricket captain Sourav Ganguly and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee herself, were unable to attend as planned due to the disruption. Messi, along with teammates Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul, spent only 20 minutes on the field, surrounded by officials, politicians and security personnel, preventing thousands of ticket holders from getting a proper look at the football icon.

Fan unrest and property damage

viewers who paid in between 4,000 and more 12,000 for tickets, expressed their frustration by throwing bottles and chairs onto the pitch, damaging stadium property and attempting to break down security gates. West Bengal Police arrested the main organizer, Satadru Dutta, and announced plans to refund the money for the tickets. Messi was forced to leave the stadium early due to security concerns.

political outcome

The incident quickly turned into a political controversy. BJP leader of opposition Suvendu Adhikari criticized the TMC, terming it a “TMC loot-fest in Yuva Bharti” and alleged that senior TMC officials monopolized Messi’s time for campaigning, bypassing fans. They demanded Biswas’s resignation, full ticket refund and a High Court-led inquiry.

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TMC acknowledged administrative lapses but blamed the event organizers for the chaos. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee described the situation as “extremely disturbing and shocking”, issued a public apology to Messi and the fans, and constituted a high-level inquiry committee led by retired Calcutta High Court judge Justice Ashim Kumar Ray along with the Chief Secretary and Home Secretary to investigate the incident and recommend measures to prevent such chaos in the future.