'I sincerely Apologise to Lionel Messi...,' Mamata Banerjee After Salt Lake Fiasco

Kolkata: After the Salt Lake Fiasco, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee issued an statement to extend her apology to Lionel Messi who attended the event on December 13 after the event turned into chaos.

The Argentina World Cup-winning captain, Lionel Messi reached the venue around afternoon. He was welcomed and greeted by the enthusiastic crowd. 

In her statement, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wrote, "...I sincerely apologise to Lionel Messi, as well as to all sports lovers and his fans, for the unfortunate incident. I am constituting an enquiry committee under the chairmanship of Justice (Retd.) Ashim Kumar Ray, with the Chief Secretary and the Additional Chief Secretary, Home and Hill Affairs Department, as members. The committee will conduct a detailed enquiry into the incident, fix responsibility, and recommend measures to prevent such occurrences in the future."

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee tweets, "...I sincerely apologise to Lionel Messi, as well as to all sports lovers and his fans, for the unfortunate incident. I am constituting an enquiry committee under the chairmanship of Justice (Retd.) Ashim Kumar Ray, with the Chief Secretary… pic.twitter.com/jv0kG1lPXH

— ANI (@ANI) December 13, 2025

Not just Messi, Mamata had also extended her apologies to the fans, stating, "I sincerely apologise to Lionel Messi, as well as to all sports lovers and his fans, for the unfortunate incident. I am constituting an enquiry committee under the chairmanship of Justice (Retd.) Ashim Kumar Ray, with the Chief Secretary and the Additional chief secretary, Home and Hill Affairs Department, as members."

I am deeply disturbed and shocked by the mismanagement witnessed today at Salt Lake Stadium. I was on my way to the stadium to attend the event along with thousands of sports lovers and fans who had gathered to catch a glimpse of their favourite footballer, Lionel Messi.

I…

— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) December 13, 2025

What caused the chaos?

The chaos occurred at the stadium after Messi cut short his appearance at the event, which caused unrest over there and left thousands of spectators frustrated. A series of videos surfaced online that showcased crowds breaking barricades, throwing bottles and chairs on the field.