West Bengal: Lionel Messi's 70-foot statue removed after residents raise safety concerns

Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], June 1 (ANI): A 70-foot statue of legendary footballer Lionel Messi, which was installed along VIP Road in Kolkata’s Lake Town area, was removed after residents raised concerns over its stability, saying the structure was swaying in strong winds on Monday.

The 70-foot statue of Messi was built last year in December ahead of the FIFA World Cup-winning superstar’s ‘GOAT Tour’ to India, which features Messi holding the 2022 FIFA World Cup trophy and was constructed by fans as a tribute to the football icon.

Messi visited the country last year across four stops, West Bengal, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Delhi, along with Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul, his Inter Miami teammates.

However, there were complaints from local residents to the Public Works Department (PWD) as the statue looked unstable in the wind, and an inspection was carried out. It was established that its structural integrity is compromised and must be taken down before any potential mishap.

West Bengal MLA Sharadwat Mukherjee said, as quoted by ESPN, “The statue of the Argentine football legend was found to be unsafe.”

“We have noticed that the statue is swaying in the wind,” Mukherjee added.

The monument was built over a span of 27 days. Authorities are currently looking for alternate locations for the statue for its reassembly.

Meanwhile, a week ago, Satadru Dutta, the main organiser of Lionel Messi’s GOAT Tour to India, filed a complaint against the former Sports Minister of West Bengal, Arup Biswas, accusing him of misconduct, including claims that tickets to Messi’s Kolkata event were misused and that the organiser faced pressure over issuing access cards.

Messi’s Kolkata leg of the GOAT Tour had earlier descended into chaos as fans who had purchased high-priced tickets at Salt Lake Stadium reportedly began throwing bottles and attempting to break gates between stands after the Argentine football legend left the venue early.

Angry fans resorted to vandalism inside the Kolkata stadium, alleging poor event management and criticising VIPs and politicians for monopolising access to the football icon, due to which many spectators claimed they did not get even a glimpse of Messi.

The situation escalated further when some fans attempted to enter restricted areas to damage the event setup, including tents and the goalpost. Police personnel had to intervene and use mild force to disperse the crowd and restore order at the venue. (ANI)

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