Messi sparks intense controversy in India.

Lionel Messi's visit to India for a special exchange event quickly turned into a nightmare for the organizers.

Messi sparks intense controversy in India. Photo: Reuters .

On December 13th, Messi arrived in Kolkata with two close teammates, Rodrigo De Paul and Luis Suarez, attracting significant attention from Indian fans. Tens of thousands of spectators flocked to the Salt Lake Stadium hoping to see and interact with their idol. However, things quickly spiraled out of control as the organization didn't go as planned.

According to Kolkata police, outrage erupted when fans realized that Messi would not be playing or participating in the meet-and-greet activities they had expected. Instead, the Argentinian number 10 only appeared for a very short time to greet and meet a few guests before leaving the stadium. This left many spectators, who had paid large sums of money for tickets, feeling "deceived."

Rajeev Kumar, Director General of Police in West Bengal, confirmed that authorities had arrested the head of the organizing committee after receiving a formal complaint regarding incidents at the stadium.

“The fans’ disappointment and anger stemmed from the realization that Messi wasn’t playing. The actual plan was simply to greet, meet, and leave,” said Kumar. The organizers also pledged to refund tickets to spectators.

Scenes of chaos at the Messi event. Photo: Reuters .

As Messi was being escorted off the pitch, the atmosphere became tense. Some unruly fans threw objects onto the field, forcing security to intervene to prevent the situation from escalating into riot. Fortunately, order was later restored.

Following the public outcry, Mamata Banerjee, founding chair of the All India Trinamool Congress and Chief Minister of West Bengal, publicly apologized to Messi and the fans via social media. She admitted to being "shocked and disappointed" by the poor organization.

The West Bengal state government has also established an independent investigative committee headed by former judge Ashim Kumar Ray, with the participation of senior home affairs officials. This committee is tasked with clarifying the responsibilities of all parties involved and proposing measures to prevent similar incidents from recurring in the future.

Chaos ensued as Messi appeared in India. Indian fans became enraged and vandalized property when Lionel Messi made a brief appearance during the welcoming ceremony at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata.

Source: https://znews.vn/messi-gay-tranh-cai-du-doi-o-an-do-post1611322.html