Himanta Biswa Sarma Demands Mamata Banerjee's Arrest Over Chaos at Messi Event in Kolkata

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has launched a scathing attack on the West Bengal government following the chaotic scenes during Lionel Messi’s visit to Kolkata. Sarma described the event at Salt Lake Stadium as a 'VIP spectacle' where ordinary fans were sidelined while Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders and their families monopolized access to the football icon. Alleging a 'total collapse of law and order', Sarma demanded accountability from the top, stating, 'The State's Home Minister, who is the Chief Minister, and the Kolkata Police Commissioner should have been arrested.' He contrasted the mismanagement in Bengal with peaceful events elsewhere, blaming the state's 'extreme VIP culture' for the embarrassment. The Assam CM further claimed that the visuals of the unrest told a different story from the TMC's allegations of a conspiracy.