Fresh details from eyewitness accounts, videos and photographs circulating on social media and television channels point to a serious security breach and lapses in crowd management during Argentine football icon Lionel Messi's brief appearance at the Salt Lake Stadium here, raising questions over planning and coordination.
According to multiple eyewitnesses who were present close to the field, Messi appeared visibly uncomfortable moments after stepping out of his vehicle near the athletic track around 11.30 am on Saturday.
A large cluster of organisers, politicians, photographers and hangers-on allegedly crowded the World Cup-winning captain, repeatedly attempting selfies and autographs, triggering pushing and jostling even before spectators in the galleries grew restive.
Some eyewitnesses claimed that in the melee, Uruguay striker Luis Suarez was elbowed in the stomach by an overzealous individual, while Argentina midfielder Rodrigo De Paul suffered a scratch on his hand from someone's fingernails.
Security personnel, sensing risk to the players, quickly decided to withdraw Messi, Suarez and De Paul from the field, cutting short their planned interaction with fans.
These accounts are based on eyewitness testimonies, photographs and video clips widely shared on social media and broadcast by news channels. PTI, however, could not independently verify the authenticity of the videos and photographs.
Former footballer Rahim Nabi, who was present inside the stadium, said the situation near the players became increasingly uncomfortable.
"Many people were getting too close to Messi, Suarez and De Paul, even near their necks. After a few minutes, Messi spoke to his personal security team and left the field. From a distance, it was clear he was uneasy with the crowd's behaviour," Nabi told a news channel.
Former footballer and ex-TMC MLA Dipendu Biswas said Messi was initially expected to move towards the goalpost for a symbolic penalty kick.
"Messi was coming towards the post, and a few of us also moved there. He was taken aback by the advancing group of selfie-seekers and then taken away from the field. Everything happened very abruptly," Biswas said.
As images of the chaos spread rapidly, criticism mounted over the conduct of VIPs and organisers who were seen surrounding the players.
Sougata Roy, veteran MP of the ruling TMC, described the episode as "deeply embarrassing" for the state.
"It is very unfortunate. Bengal and Bengalis are getting a bad name. A global icon like Messi came all the way from Argentina and could not stay for the full programme because of a few overenthusiastic people. Spectators who bought tickets at hefty prices were naturally disappointed, and this has brought disrepute to our city," Roy said.
Echoing the criticism, TMC MLA Manoranjan Byapari said the manner in which VVIPs crowded around Messi, hugging him and clicking selfies, was "shameful".
"Is this the way senior politicians or so-called VVIPs should behave? We all saw how some of them were desperate to get a selfie with him," Byapari said.
The disorder later spilled into open protests by spectators, many of whom alleged that they could not see Messi at all despite paying high ticket prices.
Soon after the football icon left the venue much earlier than scheduled, sections of the crowd resorted to vandalism, uprooting plastic chairs, hurling bottles on the pitch and attempting to breach barricades.
The opposition targeted the state government and police over the security failures.
CPI-M leader Satarup Ghosh alleged grave lapses, claiming unrestricted entry of water bottles pointed to bigger risks.
"If crates of water bottles could be brought in, something far more dangerous could also have entered the stadium. This reflects complete mismanagement and corruption," the opposition leader alleged.
Questions have also been raised over the absence of a detailed minute-to-minute event plan, lack of rehearsals, and poor coordination between central forces, state police, the sports department and private organisers.
The state government has ordered a probe into the incident as the fallout from what was meant to be a marquee sporting celebration continues to intensify.
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