Messi Event Fiasco: WB Sports Minister Aroop Biswas Resigns
Mamata government cracked a whip on the top brass of the police and administration after getting a preliminary report of the inquiry committee headed by retired judge Asim Kumar Ray
Kolkata: West Bengal sports and youth affairs minister minister Aroop Biswas resigned from his post after facing an all-round criticism for turning Argentine football legend Lionel Messi's GOAT India Tour messy at Salt Lake Stadium that had forced chief minister Mamata Banerjee to stay away from the event.
In a handwritten resignation letter to the CM on Monday, Mr Biswas stated, “You have already constituted an inquiry committee into the situation that arose on December 13 at Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan during the Kolkata tour of legendary footballer Messi.”
He added, “For the sake of an impartial inquiry, I seek relief as sports minister from you. Hope you will honour my request.” On Tuesday, Ms Banerjee accepted Mr Biswas’ resignation while appreciating his “sentiment and intention” and took over his portfolio "until and unless the impartial inquiry is over.”
Her government also cracked a whip on the top brass of the police and administration after getting a preliminary report of the inquiry committee headed by retired judge Asim Kumar Ray.
A press statement issued by chief secretary Manoj Panth said that the state DGP Rajeev Kumar “has been served show-cause notice to clarify within 24 hours of communication on why such mismanagement and lapses happened in the Stadium on that day and why proper coordination with concerned stakeholders, including the private organizer, was not carried out so as to ensure smooth conduct of the event.”
It added that Bidhannagar police commissioner Mukesh Kumar has also been “show-caused and clarification sought within 24 hours about the role and conduct of Bidhannagar Commissionerate in the management of the event…”
On the other hand, another IPS officer of Bidhannagar City Police, Anish Sarkar, has been suspended and departmental proceedings have been initiated against him “for his reported negligence in his duties and responsibilities on the day of the event.”
State sports and youth affairs department principal secretary Rajesh Kumar Sinha has also been “show-caused and asked to submit clarification on why the mismanagement and lapses happened on the day of the event.”
Meanwhile, stadium CEO Deb Kumar Nandan, a retired WBCS officer, has lost his job “with immediate effect for his role in mismanagement and the lapses in proper conduct of the event.”
The state government has set up a special investigation team (SIT) to conduct a thorough investigation. The SIT has four senior IPS officers– director (security) Piyush Pandey, ADG (law and order) Jawed Shamim, ADG (South Bengal) Supratim Sarkar, Barrackpore police commissioner Muralidhar.
