‘Sincerely apologise to Lionel Messi,’ West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee writes an apology note after chaos in Kolkata

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee issued a public apology on Sunday for the "mismanagement" at Salt Lake Stadium, where a brief appearance by football legend Lionel Messi spiralled into violent chaos, prompting accusations of poor organization.

“I sincerely apologise to Lionel Messi:” Mamata Banerjee

In a post on X from her official handle @MamataOfficial, Banerjee expressed being "deeply disturbed and shocked" by the incident. She revealed she was en route to the stadium with "thousands of sports lovers and fans" eager to see Messi when disorder erupted.

"I sincerely apologise to Lionel Messi, as well as to all sports lovers and his fans, for the unfortunate incident," she wrote, announcing a high-level enquiry committee.

The panel, chaired by retired Justice Ashim Kumar Ray, will include the Chief Secretary and Additional Chief Secretary for Home and Hill Affairs.

It has been tasked with a "detailed enquiry into the incident, fix responsibility, and recommend measures to prevent such occurrences in the future." Banerjee reiterated her "heartfelt apologies to all sports lovers."

The fiasco unfolded Saturday afternoon at the 85,000-capacity Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Krirangan (VYBK), or Salt Lake Stadium, during Messi's "Goat India tour."

Fans could not see Messi properly

The Argentine superstar, 38, and Inter Miami forward, arrived for a hyped friendly match and a felicitation ceremony. Social media under #Messi𓃵 and #MessiInIndia buzzed with initial excitement, but fans soon decried his stay, lasting just five to 20 minutes, amid a scrum of media, politicians, and VIPs.

While 100-200 privileged guests mobbed Messi, 80,000 ticket-paying supporters, many claiming high costs, clamored unsuccessfully for views. Fury ignited as fans hurled bottles, belts, chairs, and debris from stands, vandalized hoardings, broke seats, and surged barriers.

Read Also: Chaos erupts at Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium as disappointed fans riot after Messi's brief appearance

Panic ensued, with security resorting to lathi-charges to quell the riot. ANI footage captured the mayhem: objects flying pitchward, crowds clambering, and police intervening forcefully.

"Messi arrived and Mess followed," one viral post quipped, while critics lambasted the Bengal government. "The people of the Bengal government were busy taking photos of themselves and their family members. Absolutely the worst arrangements," read another, pointing to selfies over crowd control. Reports of a "massacre" circulated online, though official tallies confirm injuries but no fatalities, dozens of fans and officers hurt, with hospitals treating cuts and bruises.

Banerjee's response came hours after Messi departed amid the uproar, marking a rare official acknowledgment from state leadership.

Kolkata, Indian football's "Mecca" and home to Mohun Bagan Super Giant and East Bengal FC, saw traffic gridlock and lingering tensions in Bidhannagar. No friendly match materialized, fueling claims of organizational collapse in cricket-mad India, where Messi's World Cup pedigree drew unprecedented hype.