Satadru Dutta, organiser of Lionel Messi's controversial Kolkata appearance, has launched a scathing attack on then West Bengal Sports Minister Aroop Biswas, alleging protocol violations, unauthorised political interference, and a one-sided investigation into the security chaos that followed the event nearly six months ago. Dutta claims Biswas was never part of the approved show flow but used political clout to insert himself into the programme, ultimately triggering the crowd unrest that led to his own arrest.

The unauthorised minister and show flow breach

Dutta maintained that Biswas had no official authorisation to participate in the Messi event. "He was not part of the show flow. I have the show flow. I can show you the show flow, and I can share the show flow that was officially emailed to the police," Dutta said. He questioned why Biswas was present when no other minister appeared at similar events hosted in other cities, barring the Chief Minister and pre-approved participants.

Alleged protocol violations and discomfort to Messi

Dutta alleged that Biswas breached Latin cultural protocols during his interaction with Messi. "In Latin culture, unless you ask anybody, you can't touch him. The first thing he did was touch his waist, touch his shoulder. It shouldn't be like this. It should be a handshake," Dutta claimed. According to Dutta, Messi remained composed but grew visibly uneasy as Biswas called family members and bureaucrat friends to take photographs — actions not part of the approved programme.

Police intervention and security breakdown

Dutta alleged that even senior police officials attempted to intervene during the live event. "The CP also told him, 'Sir, please stop,'" Dutta claimed, citing video footage broadcast live. He further alleged that unauthorised personnel were allowed into restricted zones around Messi, suggesting a broader security failure beyond Biswas's individual actions. Dutta said he repeatedly objected to the situation as it unfolded.

Arrest and scapegoating allegations

Dutta alleged that when police arrested him in the aftermath, officers expressed frustration at the decision. "They were saying, 'Why are you arresting him? What has this guy done? Arrest that minister,'" he claimed. Dutta asserted he had successfully organised Messi's appearances in Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Delhi without incident, questioning why he alone bore responsibility for the Kolkata chaos.

Credibility of earlier probe questioned

Dutta called the earlier investigation "a farce," alleging that the Police Commissioner who was show-caused became part of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) that probed the incident. "Nobody called Aroop Biswas or anyone else," Dutta said, demanding a fresh investigation. He pointed to CCTV footage from both stadium gates as evidence that could identify all unauthorised personnel present during the event.

The Messi event controversy had triggered widespread political debate in West Bengal after crowd unrest, alleged security lapses, and protocol violations overshadowed one of the state's biggest football spectacles in recent years.