West Bengal Governor calls for judicial probe into Messi event mess
KOLKATA: A day after chaos erupted during Argentine football icon Lionel Messi’s event at Salt Lake stadium in Kolkata, West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose on Sunday visited the venue for a first-hand inspection and called for a judicial inquiry.
Members of an inquiry committee, set up by CM Mamata Banerjee, also visited the stadium during the same time. The panel is headed by retired Calcutta High Court judge Ashim Kumar Ray. Governor Bose urged the government to frame standard operating procedures (SOPs) for managing such events in future. He said all those responsible for the chaos must be arrested and the organiser must immediately refund ticket prices to spectators. Satadru Datta, the chief organiser of the Messi event, was on Saturday for ‘mismanagement’.
“When private parties are allowed to commercialise sports and make money, the public should not be the sufferers,” Bose said. He said he would submit a detailed report containing recommendations to the state government and Centre after interacting with some of the victims. “My report is almost ready and will be sent to all authorities concerned,” he said, declining to reveal the details.
“I have also met the inquiry committee members at the spot probing it. Saturday’s incident is a shame for all in Kolkata. There might be several more reasons behind the chaos. I will speak to the aggrieved fans and then submit my report,” Bose said. He was “denied” entry into the stadium on Saturday after chaos and crowd trouble.
Bengal Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari demanded a court-monitored inquiry into the chaos at the Messi event. “We do not accept this committee. Only a probe monitored by sitting judges can bring out the truth,” he said. Holding TMC ministers and leaders responsible for what he described as “mismanagement” at the venue, Adhikari demanded the arrest of Sujit Bose, fire brigade minister, and Aroop Biswas, sports minister.
Reacting to Adhikari’s charges, TMC spokesperson Arup Chakraborty said, “Sports minister Aroop Biswas was invited to the show. Why family members of BJP leaders were present at the programme?”