Aroop Biswas offered his resignation as WB Sports Minister
It follows after Lionel Messi's Kolkata event turned into chaos
Biswas had written to the CM Mamata Banerjee on Monday, seeking relief from the sports portfolio
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday accepted Aroop Biswas's resignation as the sports minister in the wake of the controversy over the mismanagement of football icon Lionel Messi's event last week, a senior leader of the ruling TMC said.
Biswas, who had written to the chief minister seeking to be relieved of his responsibilities as sports minister, will continue as a cabinet minister, retaining charge of the power department.
Trinamool Congress spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said, "Biswas's resignation had been accepted, and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will oversee the sports and youth welfare portfolio."
The acceptance of Biswas's resignation marks a significant political and administrative development following the hue and cry over the chaos that unfolded after Messi's brief appearance at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, popularly known as the Salt Lake Stadium, on December 13.
Angry spectators, upset over alleged mismanagement, crowd control failures and security lapses, resorted to vandalism inside the stadium after the Argentine star exited the field, causing damage to property estimated by officials at around Rs 2 crore.
Biswas had written to the chief minister on Monday, seeking relief from the sports portfolio, citing the need for a "neutral" and unhindered probe into the incident.
While he holds charge of both the sports and youth welfare and the power departments, his request was limited to stepping aside from the sports ministry.
Even after the acceptance of his resignation from that post, he remains part of the state cabinet, sources said.
Ghosh had earlier shared on social media what he described as a copy of Biswas's letter to the chief minister, dated December 15, stating that the minister had offered to resign in view of the controversy.
The development initially triggered some political confusion, with Ghosh later clarifying that the final decision rested with the chief minister. On Tuesday evening, however, Ghosh confirmed that the resignation had been accepted.
Following Biswas's request to step aside, senior officials of the Sports and Youth Welfare Department were summoned to the state secretariat 'Nabanna' on Tuesday.
The controversy has been deepened by images and videos circulating widely on social media that showed Biswas in close proximity to Messi during the event. Football fans and sections of the public accused the former sports minister of crowding the star player, even as spectators struggled to get a clear view.
As the visuals went viral, criticism mounted not only in public discourse but also within political circles, intensifying speculation over whether Biswas would be divested of his responsibilities or choose to step down.
Some party insiders said there had been an expectation among Biswas's associates that the controversy might be overshadowed by the publication of West Bengal's draft electoral rolls under the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) on Tuesday.
However, Biswas moved swiftly, writing to the chief minister even before the EC's formal announcement, and his resignation was accepted the same day.
The acceptance of the resignation has coincided with a wave of administrative action initiated based on the preliminary findings of a high-level inquiry committee constituted to probe the lapses during the Messi event.
The chief minister had earlier appointed a committee to investigate the incident, which submitted its initial report and recommendations at Nabanna on Monday night.
Acting on those findings, the state government on Tuesday issued show-cause notices to Director General of Police Rajeev Kumar and Bidhannagar Police Commissioner Mukesh Kumar, asking them to explain within 24 hours why the situation spiralled out of control during the event.
Bidhannagar Deputy Police Commissioner Aneesh Sarkar has been suspended pending a departmental inquiry, officials said. Show-cause notices have also been issued to the state sports secretary, Rajesh Kumar Singh. In addition, Dev Kumar Nandan, the CEO of the Yuba Bharati Krirangan, has been removed from his post.
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed to conduct a detailed probe into the incident, following the recommendations of the inquiry committee, according to an official statement issued by the office of Chief Secretary Manoj Pant.
The scale and speed of the administrative action have underscored the government's attempt to demonstrate accountability amid opposition attacks and public outrage.
Opposition parties have stepped up their criticism, demanding responsibility to be fixed at the highest levels over what they have described as a serious failure in planning and execution at a marquee international event.
Ghosh had praised the chief minister's approach, arguing that such accountability was possible only under Mamata Banerjee's leadership.
Repeated attempts to contact Biswas for comment were unsuccessful, and he has not made any public statement since submitting his letter to the chief minister.
