Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday accepted the resignation of Aroop Biswas from the post of sports minister following the controversy surrounding the alleged mismanagement of football icon Lionel Messi’s event at Salt Lake Stadium last week, a senior Trinamool Congress leader said.
Biswas, who had written to the chief minister seeking to be relieved of the sports and youth welfare portfolio, will continue as a cabinet minister and retain charge of the power department. Trinamool Congress spokesperson Kunal Ghosh confirmed that Banerjee herself will now oversee the sports and youth welfare portfolio.
The decision comes days after chaos erupted at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan on December 13, when Messi made a brief appearance. Angry spectators allegedly vandalised parts of the stadium after the Argentine star left the field, citing poor crowd management, security lapses and inadequate arrangements. Officials have estimated the damage at around ₹2 crore.
Biswas had requested to step aside from the sports ministry to allow what he described as a neutral and unhindered inquiry into the incident. Though he held both the sports and power portfolios, his resignation was limited to the former. Even after the chief minister accepted his request, he remains part of the state cabinet.
Political speculation intensified after Ghosh earlier shared what he said was a copy of Biswas’s resignation letter dated December 15. While there was initial confusion over whether the resignation had formally been accepted, Ghosh confirmed on Tuesday evening that Banerjee had taken a final decision on the matter.
The controversy was further fuelled by images and videos circulating on social media that showed Biswas standing close to Messi during the event. Many football fans and critics accused the former sports minister of crowding the player, even as thousands of spectators struggled to get a clear view, triggering sharp public and political backlash.
Following Biswas’s request to step aside, senior officials of the Sports and Youth Welfare Department were summoned to the state secretariat, Nabanna, on Tuesday. The move came alongside swift administrative action based on the preliminary findings of a high-level inquiry committee constituted to investigate the incident.
Acting on the committee’s recommendations, the state government issued show-cause notices to Director General of Police Rajeev Kumar and Bidhannagar Police Commissioner Mukesh Kumar, seeking explanations within 24 hours over the handling of the event. Bidhannagar Deputy Police Commissioner Aneesh Sarkar has been suspended pending a departmental inquiry, while show-cause notices were also served on state sports secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh. Additionally, Dev Kumar Nandan, the CEO of Yuba Bharati Krirangan, was removed from his post.
A Special Investigation Team has also been constituted to conduct a detailed probe into the lapses, according to an official statement from the office of Chief Secretary Manoj Pant.
Opposition parties have stepped up attacks on the government, demanding accountability at the highest level and calling the incident a serious failure in planning and execution of a high-profile international event. The ruling TMC, however, has defended the chief minister, with party leaders saying the speed and scale of action reflect Banerjee’s commitment to accountability.
Aroop Biswas has not issued any public statement since submitting his resignation letter, and attempts to contact him for comment were unsuccessful.
