West Bengal Sports Minister Arup Biswas Submits Resignation After Chaos at Lionel Messi Event

West Bengal Sports Minister Arup Biswas has submitted his resignation to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, taking moral responsibility for the chaos that erupted during an event featuring football icon Lionel Messi at Kolkata’s iconic Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (Salt Lake Stadium) on December 13.

The incident, marked by serious mismanagement and disorder, drew sharp criticism from across the country and abroad, bringing unwelcome attention and embarrassment to Kolkata. According to sources, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had asked the Sports Minister to either accept responsibility for the lapses or step down from his post. Following this directive, Biswas handed over his resignation through a handwritten letter, requesting to be relieved of his responsibilities.

The resignation letter, which has since gone viral on social media, was shared by Trinamool Congress spokesperson Kunal Ghosh. In his Facebook post, Ghosh confirmed that Biswas had formally requested the Chief Minister to relieve him of his duties as Sports Minister, citing the controversy and administrative failure surrounding the Messi event.

However, questions have been raised over the official status of the resignation, as the letter was not written on the minister’s official letterhead. Neither Arup Biswas nor the top leadership of the Trinamool Congress has issued a public statement on the matter so far. The Chief Minister’s Office has also not confirmed whether the resignation has been accepted.

Repeated attempts to contact Biswas for his response through phone calls and messages remained unanswered. A senior and trusted leader of the ruling party, Biswas has maintained silence, adding to political speculation surrounding the episode.

Meanwhile, the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) launched a sharp attack on the state government over the incident. The party shared videos of Lionel Messi’s Mumbai visit, highlighting the smooth conduct of the event there, and took a dig at the West Bengal administration. BJP leaders and social media users remarked that the Bengal Police should “learn from Mumbai Police” in handling high-profile international events.

The incident has sparked a wider debate on event management, crowd control, and administrative accountability in West Bengal, especially as the state seeks to project itself as a global destination for international sporting and cultural events.