Was Lionel Messi the Cause of Chaos in Kolkata? Salt Lake Stadium Outrage Was Completely His Doing- Gavaskar

Lionel Messi, the global footballing legend, left Delhi on Monday evening, ending his brief and undecided Indian sojourn. By and large, his journey had remained uneventful, except for Salt Lake's turn which brought a great amount of controversy with numerous upsets, anger, and debate.

Messi’s GOAT Tour of India began on Saturday at Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata, where a huge crowd had gathered, hoping to get a glimpse of the superstar from Argentina. But the event soon turned into a frustration when Messi chose rather to disappoint the fans and leave in a hurry contrary to the schedule, spending only 22 minutes in a scheduled two-hour program.

What Actually Happened at Salt Lake Stadium?

They are news sources, it is reported that security issues prompted Lionel Messie to run away in the early evening. Those who knew about the incident later on provided a picture of Messi being flanked by political heavyweights, organizers, and some VIPs on the ground. During this time, an individual request for his autograph which caused a pen to poke Messi accidentally; an awkward occurrence.

Those present on duty with Messi during the time of the small incident raised red flags for the security team who were not satisfied with the security arrangements laid down in the stadium. Messi immediately communicated with GOAT Tour of India organizer Shatadru Dutta of the issue, deciding to exit the stadium without completing the event.

Fans React With Anger and Vandalism

Disgruntled fans were infuriated by Messi's exit ... Their hero had kept them waiting at the venue for several hours. Once the news spread that Messi had disappeared on them, pandemonium broke loose. Angry and distressed persons began to throw more empty water bottles, break some chairs, and cause vandalism at the stadium.

The agitation ended with Panel intervention when arrests were made including Shatadru Dutta. Sunil Gavaskar joins the Debate.

Sunil Gavaskar is also known to have stepped into the center of this ever-growing issue with his comments. Targeting Messi, Gavaskar straight out blamed him for all the hue and cry created in Kolkata and stated that more commitment on Messi's part was certainly needed to this event.

Gavaskar wondered why Messi was being vindicated while others were being faulted. Gavaskar agreed that the details of the tour's agreement were unknown with regard to an early morning departure, and hence asserted that Messi should have honoured that.

“Where Was The Threat?” Gavaskar Questions

Gavaskar also rode above the argument on the nature of security from severe danger. How was Messi in danger when he was surrounded by politicians and VIPs at all times, he questioned.

“So where was the threat?" Gavaskar pointedly asked, adding that they could have easily walked past the stadium, met some fans gently, and possibly even played some football for a while and that alone would have at least done some damage control.

In his opinion, Messi's arrival and subsequent visits to Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Delhi went extremely smooth and was only marred when he made a no-show for the town in his itinerary-Kolkata.

A tour that left multiple feelings

Even though Messi's India tour in different Indian cities had created memories worth cherishing for fans, the Kolkata event has left behind-the-table effects of controversy, unanswered questions, and mixed reactions. The clash persists on what stoked an authentic security threat, handling errors, or simply a lack of harmony.

It's really unfortunate that what was supposed to be a proper celebration in football ended up turning into one of the most controversial spectacles of Messi's India visit.