Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday blamed the Trinamool Congress (TMC) for the chaos during Argentine footballer Lionel Messi’s fan interaction event at Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata in December 2025.
“What happened in Kolkata stadium during the football programme is a testimony to TMC’s ‘maha jungleraj’,” PM Modi said at an election rally in Bongaon.
Messi, widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the sport, had visited Kolkata — often called the ‘Mecca of Football’ — as part of his “GOAT India Tour 2025”. However, the much-anticipated event ended in chaos, with large sections of the crowd returning without catching a glimpse of the superstar amid allegations of mismanagement.
Held on December 13 at Salt Lake Stadium, the event drew over 30,000 ticketed fans expecting a public appearance by Messi. He arrived at the venue with teammates Rodrigo De Paul and Luis Suárez, but was soon surrounded by a dense inner security ring comprising officials, organisers and other attendees, severely restricting visibility from the stands.
The planned engagement was cut short to about 20 minutes, with Messi leaving the venue earlier than scheduled. Many fans who had paid for tickets said they were unable to see him.
Frustration escalated inside the stadium, with reports of vandalism, including damaged seats and objects being thrown. Some spectators also attempted to breach barricades.
Police in Bidhannagar registered multiple cases and used CCTV footage and social media videos to identify those involved. Several spectators were detained for vandalism.
Police arrested key organiser Satadru Dutta and some of his associates over alleged lapses in crowd control, ticketing irregularities and security failures.
The West Bengal government subsequently constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to examine the incident. A suo motu case was registered by Bidhannagar Police against the organisers. The controversy reached the Calcutta High Court, where PILs sought a deeper probe into accountability and the causes of the unrest.
