Kolkata: West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose on Monday said he will send a separate report to the Central government outlining his observations on the lapses in management at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata during the December 13 event featuring Argentine football star Lionel Messi.
“I will submit a report on this count to the Union government. At the same time, I will also give some suggestions to the West Bengal government on the precautions that should be adopted in case of similar mega events in the future. Till now, only one of the organisers has been arrested for this mismanagement. But that is just the tip of the iceberg. All those responsible for this utter mismanagement should be arrested,” the Governor told mediapersons at the end of a programme at Lok Bhavan.
The Governor also said that the state administration and police personnel present at the stadium on that day could not evade responsibility for what happened and were equally accountable for the lapses.
“There was a total failure of the management system. Surprisingly, there were no advance guidelines in place for such a mega event. The stadium is public property, and it was the duty of the administration to protect that property from vandalism. The administrative and police officers present at the stadium on that day failed to perform their duties. Necessary action should be initiated against them as well,” he said.
The event had witnessed chaos and disorder, with allegations of poor crowd control, damage to public property and lack of proper arrangements, triggering widespread criticism from spectators and civil society groups.
State Sports Minister Aroop Biswas was present at the stadium alongside Lionel Messi during the event. Several spectators, members of civil society and leaders of opposition parties have alleged that as Biswas and his family members surrounded the football star on the stadium ground, spectators who had purchased tickets at high prices were denied adequate access to Messi.
These allegations have added to the political controversy surrounding the event, with opposition parties accusing the state government of gross mismanagement and preferential treatment.
When asked whether his report to the Union Government would specifically mention the role of Sports Minister Aroop Biswas in the matter, the Governor declined to give a direct response.
“I will report everything related to the matter to my constitutional superiors. Till then, I will not make any separate public statement,” Governor Ananda Bose said.
The Governor’s remarks come amid growing pressure on the state government to fix accountability for the lapses during the high-profile event, which had attracted massive public attention and expectations.
(IANS)
