KOLKATA : Expressing shock over the incident, Banerjee said she was “deeply disturbed” by the poor handling of crowds at the stadium, where thousands of fans had gathered in the hope of catching a glimpse of Lionel Messi. In a post on X, the Chief Minister said she herself was on the way to the venue along with sports lovers when chaos unfolded due to inadequate planning and crowd control.

“I sincerely apologise to Lionel Messi, as well as to all sports lovers and his fans, for the unfortunate incident,” Banerjee said, adding that such lapses were unacceptable at events of this scale.

Announcing immediate action, the Chief Minister ordered the formation of an enquiry committee to investigate the incident. The panel will be chaired by retired Justice Ashim Kumar Ray and will include the Chief Secretary and the Additional Chief Secretary of the Home and Hill Affairs Department. The committee has been tasked with conducting a detailed enquiry, fixing responsibility, and recommending measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.

According to reports, frustration grew among the crowd due to poor crowd management and long waiting periods. Some fans allegedly resorted to throwing bottles and chairs from the stands in anger. Messi’s appearance reportedly lasted only a few minutes, with heavy security and organisers surrounding him, leaving many attendees disappointed at not getting a proper view of the football icon.

The incident has triggered sharp criticism from political circles and social media users, raising serious concerns about event planning, safety, and crowd management at large public gatherings in the state.

With the enquiry committee now in place, the state government has assured a thorough investigation.