Arya News - Following Biswas’s resignation, Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee will hold the additional charge of the Sports Department.
NEW DELHI – West Bengal Sports Minister Aroop Biswas on Tuesday resigned from the post, taking moral responsibility for the chaos and vandalism at Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata last week during Argentine football legend Lionel Messi’s GOAT India Tour event, Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Kunal Ghosh said on Tuesday.
In a social media post on X in Bangla, Ghosh said that Biswas wrote to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee asking to be relieved of the Sports Department’s responsibilities.
The Bengal CM accepted his resignation and took the additional charge of the Sports Department.
“As per the enclosed letter, I appreciate the sentiment and intention of the Sports Minister to offer a relief from the Sports Department for the sake of impartial inquiry into the Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Krirangan (VYBK) incident on 13th December, 2025. I think he is very much correct and until and unless the impartial inquiry is over, the Sports Department will be looked after by me for the time being,” the CM said.
The development comes amid widespread criticism of the Bengal government over the mismanagement during Messi’s event.
The footballer had arrived in Kolkata on Saturday as part of his four-city GOAT India tour. However, the event descended into chaos after angry fans threw bottles and chairs and resorted to vandalism after the footballer left early and they could not even have a proper glimpse of him.
The fans alleged that they paid up to Rs 20,000 for tickets but VIPs hogged the footballer’s time, leaving them disappointed.
Following the chaos, CM Banerjee issued a public apology and ordered an inquiry into the incident.
Show cause notices served to Bengal DGP Rajeev Kumar, Bidhannagar CP Mukesh Kumar and others
Meanwhile, the West Bengal Government has also issued show cause notices to Rajeev Kumar, DGP, West Bengal, Mukesh Kumar, CP, Bidhannagar, and Rajesh Kumar Sinha, Principal Secretary, Youth Affairs & Sports Department.
Based on the preliminary report of the inquiry committee, the state government has also initiated departmental proceedings against Aneesh Sarkar (IPS), DCP Bidhannagar over alleged negligence in his duties and responsibilities on the day of the event.
Moreover, services of Deb Kumar Nandan, WBCS (Exe) (Retd.), CEO of Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Krirangan (VYBK) have been withdrawn with immediate effect for his role in mismanagement and the lapses in proper conduct of the event.
A Special Investigation Team comprising IPS officers Piyush Pandey, Javed Shamim, Supratim Sarkar and Muralidhar has also been constituted to conduct a thorough investigation into the matter.
Police had arrested Satadru Dutta, the promoter of Messi’s GOAT India Tour soon after the Kolkata event chaos. He has been sent to a 14-day police custody.