Aroop Biswas resigns, taking moral responsibility for Messi event vandalism

West Bengal sports minister Aroop Biswas on Tuesday stepped down from his post, owning moral responsibility for what he described as serious lapses in the organisation of the high-profile football event featuring Argentine legend Lionel Messi at Kolkata’s Salt Lake stadium last week.

Trinamool Congress spokesperson and state general secretary Kunal Ghosh said chief minister Mamata Banerjee had accepted Biswas’s resignation. However, there was no official confirmation from the chief minister’s office, even as questions lingered over who would succeed him. Biswas, who also holds the Power portfolio, will continue as a member of the state cabinet.

In a handwritten resignation letter in Bengali, Biswas said his decision was guided by the need to ensure the impartiality of the probe ordered by the chief minister. The inquiry is being conducted by a committee headed by a retired judge of the Calcutta High Court. “I hope you will approve my request,” Biswas wrote, underlining that he was stepping aside from the Sports Ministry to facilitate a fair investigation.

Biswas has been at the centre of intense criticism since the chaotic scenes that unfolded at Salt Lake Stadium on Saturday, when thousands of fans gathered for the much-anticipated event. Allegations of poor crowd management, inadequate arrangements and damage to public property sparked outrage among spectators, civil society groups and opposition parties alike.

The controversy deepened after allegations surfaced that while Biswas and his family members remained in close proximity to Messi on the stadium field, many ticket-holding spectators — some of whom had paid hefty sums — were denied a clear view or meaningful access to the football icon.

Opposition parties accused the state government of gross mismanagement and preferential treatment, turning what was meant to be a celebratory sporting occasion into a political flashpoint. With the probe now underway and the Sports Minister having stepped aside, the focus has shifted to accountability and the findings of the judicial inquiry.

With IANS inputs