Explore Business Standard
Lionel Messi
Amid alarming pollution levels blanketing Delhi, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta was greeted with chants of 'AQI', 'AQI' from a section of the crowd when she took the stage to welcome football icon Lionel Messi at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Monday. A sharp drop in visibility and haze-obscured skyline marked another low for Delhi on Monday as the Air Quality Index (AQI) touched 498 in the morning and settled at 427 by the evening, pushing the capital into severe' zone for the third day running. A video showing a section of the crowd chanting 'AQI', 'AQI' has gone viral on social media, prompting the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to attack Gupta over the severe' pollution levels gripping the capital. International Shame, Crowd for Messi shouts AQI, AQI' as soon as Delhi CM Rekha Gupta arrives, AAP's Delhi unit chief Saurabh Bharadwaj said in a post on X, sharing the clip. The AAP accused the BJP governments at the Centre and in Delhi of being indifferent as toxic air choked Delhi-NCR and parts o
The West Bengal Police on Monday sent summons to officials of six organisations, which were in charge of managing various aspects of the Lionel Messi event at the Salt Lake stadium, where spectators resorted to large-scale chaos and vandalism two days ago, alleging gross mismanagement, an officer said. Acting on an FIR on the spectator rampage that led to an estimated loss of over Rs 2 crore of stadium properties, police have also arrested five people so far on charges of vandalism and assault on police personnel. Among the notices which were served to the event organisers included those to Laltu Das, manager of Satadru Datta the now arrested prime organiser of the event, police said. Summonses were also dispatched by the Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate to Manali Bhattacharya, an event manager, Supriya Dasgupta, Sambaran Karmakar, Aditya Das and Amit Kumar, a senior official of a food delivery aggregator. All six officials, police said, were involved in managing the marquee eve
Ripples of Saturday's Salt Lake stadium spectator rampage during Argentine football legend Lionel Messi showcasing event reached the corridors of the Calcutta High Court on Monday after Acting Chief Justice Sujoy Pal allowed the filing of three separate PILs related to the fiasco. The petitions sought the court's intervention to transfer the probe into the stadium violence to central agencies such as the CBI, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO). The petitions, separately moved by the state's Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari and advocates Sabyasachi Chattopadhyay and Mainak Ghoshal, are likely to be heard together by the court later this week. Appearing for Adhikari, advocate Bilwadal Bhattacharya sought permission to file a petition seeking the court's intervention into unearthing the factors that led to the crowd unrest on Saturday. He also challenged the authority of the three-member inquiry committee constituted by the state ..
In view of chaos during an event featuring Lionel Messi in Kolkata, the Delhi Police has made multi-layered security arrangements at and around the Arun Jaitley Stadium where the Argentine football icon will attend another event on Monday. The event will be held at the stadium here between 1 pm and 4 pm, officials said on Sunday. On Saturday, chaos erupted at the Salt Lake stadium in Kolkata as thousands of fans protested after failing to catch a clear glimpse of Messi during a much-hyped event, prompting police to resort to lathi charge. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has ordered a high-level inquiry into the incident. The Delhi Police said an elaborate and multi-layered security bandobast is being put in place for Messi's visit. A senior police officer said comprehensive arrangements are being made to ensure the smooth conduct of the event, with a strong focus on crowd management, access control and traffic regulation. According to the police, multiple security rings
A court here on Sunday sent Satadru Datta, the chief organiser of the Lionel Messi football event at Salt Lake stadium where chaos erupted a day ago, to 14-day police custody, an officer said. Datta was arrested by the Bidhannagar Police on Saturday for mismanagement of the event from the Kolkata airport, where he had gone to see off Messi and his entourage on their way to Hyderabad. The counsel, appearing for Datta, told the court that his client was being "victimised and framed", the officer said. "We expect that the police investigation in the next 14 days will bring clarity," Datta's lawyer said. BJP supporters held a protest outside the court when Datta was taken there. What was supposed to be a marquee football spectacle turned into widespread violence and disorder at the stadium after Messi's brief and tightly ring-fenced appearance, his first at the venue since 2011, left large sections of the crowd frustrated. They failed to catch a glimpse of their superstar despite hav
Members of a committee, set up by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to inquire about the chaos during Argentine football icon Lionel Messi's event in Salt Lake stadium a day ago, reached the venue on Sunday to carry out an on-ground inspection, officials said. The panel members, headed by retired Calcutta High Court judge Justice Ashim Kumar Ray, will conduct the probe, they said. Chief Secretary Manoj Pant and Home Secretary Nandini Chakravorty are also members of the inquiry team. The members will inspect the stadium premises, crowd management arrangements and facilities provided to spectators as part of the probe into the alleged mismanagement during Messi's event on Saturday, the officials said. CCTV footage might also be probed, they said. The committee has been tasked with fixing responsibility for the lapses that led to the chaos and recommending measures to prevent a recurrence of such incidents at high-profile events. What was billed as a marquee sporting specta
West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose was on Saturday evening "denied" entry into the Salt Lake Stadium, hours after chaos and crowd trouble at the venue marred an event featuring football legend Lionel Messi. Bose described the denial of entry as an affront to the constitutional position of the Governor, and sought a reply from the authorities. I never write a report without seeing the place My report is half ready. I want to see for myself what happens in ground zero, he told reporters outside the stadium, adding that he would give the authorities one more chance to open the gate. Is this the way Bengal treats its Governor? The Governor is not a rubber stamp, Bose said, terming the episode a ghastly irrelevance of a constitutional authority. Bose said he would revisit the stadium on Sunday and examine the issue in depth. It is not a personal affront this is an affront to the constitutional position of the Governor... If any deliberate attempt is made by someone to hide the truth
Chaos erupted at the Salt Lake Stadium here on Saturday as spectators, who had paid hefty amounts for tickets to see Argentine football icon Lionel Messi, protested after being unable to catch a clear glimpse of the soccer player. Messi arrived at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan around 11.30 am along with long-time strike partner Luis Surez and Argentina teammate Rodrigo De Paul, and was the first to take the ground. He briefly moved around and waved at the crowd. However, he remained surrounded by VIPs, organisers and security personnel throughout his round, effectively cutting off the spectators' view from the galleries. Fans claimed that they could not see Messi properly, either directly or on the stadium's giant screens, despite waiting since morning. Frustration mounted as chants of We want Messi echoed across the stands. Tempers flared when the Argentine star was escorted out of the stadium within minutes, well before several invited dignitaries arrived. Disappointed
Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, will attend the GOAT India Tour event featuring football legend Lionel Messi at the RGI Cricket Stadium here on Saturday evening, Telangana Congress sources said. A friendly match will be played between the two teams -- Singareni RR9 and Aparna-Messi All Stars. These two teams will be playing a 15-20 minute friendly match and five minutes before the game, the chief minister, a football enthusiast and Messi will join and will dribble the ball together. Rahul Gandhi will land here on a special flight at 4.30 PM and will proceed to Taj Falaknuma Palace Hotel where Messi will be staying. After watching the game, Gandhi will leave for the national capital by 10.30 PM. Elaborate security arrangements are being made for the event at the RGI Cricket stadium. Rachakonda Police Commissioner Sudheer Babu said security would be provided with 3,000 personnel.
Thousands braved the December chill and waited past midnight to give a rousing welcome to Argentine superstar footballer Lionel Messi as he arrived in Kolkata for his whirlwind three-day, four-city GOAT India Tour 2025. The Barcelona legend's 2.26 am touchdown in the early hours of Saturday sent the city into an frenzy. Gate 4 of the international arrivals turned into a roaring sea of chants, flags and flashing phones, with fans sprinting between gates for even a fleeting glimpse of their favourite sports star. Children perched on shoulders and drums rolled as Messi was whisked out through the VIP gate under massive security. A heavy convoy then escorted him to his hotel, where another huge crowd was waiting deep into the night. Barricades, police deployment, and non-stop cheering completed a citywide eruption of "Messi mania." Messi arrived with long-time strike partner Luis Surez and Argentina teammate Rodrigo De Paul. Over the next 72 hours, he will zip across Kolkata, Hyderab