Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday expressed shock and anguish over the chaos that erupted during Lionel Messi’s appearance at Salt Lake Stadium, apologising to the football icon and fans and announcing a high-level inquiry into the incident.

In a post on X, Banerjee said she was “deeply disturbed and shocked” by the mismanagement witnessed at the Vivekananda Yuvabharati Krirangan, where thousands of fans had gathered to catch a glimpse of the Argentine superstar during his Kolkata visit.

“I was on my way to the stadium to attend the event along with thousands of sports lovers and fans who had gathered to catch a glimpse of their favourite footballer, Lionel Messi,” the Chief Minister wrote.

Banerjee offered an unconditional apology to Messi and to football fans, calling the scenes inside the stadium “unfortunate.

Her statement came hours after Messi was escorted out of the venue within minutes of his arrival following crowd control issues, which later escalated into unrest, with angry spectators throwing bottles and tearing down sponsor banners.

Taking immediate action, the chief minister announced the constitution of an inquiry committee under the chairmanship of retired Justice Ashim Kumar Ray. The panel will include the Chief Secretary and the Additional Chief Secretary of the Home and Hill Affairs Department as members.

“The committee will conduct a detailed inquiry into the incident, fix responsibility, and recommend measures to prevent such occurrences in the future,” Banerjee said.

She concluded her statement by once again extending her “heartfelt apologies to all sports lovers”, as criticism mounted over the handling of one of the most high-profile sporting appearances in the state in recent years.

The announcement of a judicial enquiry signals potential accountability measures following the chaotic scenes that overshadowed what was expected to be a landmark moment for Indian football fans.

For the unversed, what was meant to be a celebratory event descended into chaos shortly after Lionel Messi arrived at the Vivekananda Yuvabharati Krirangan, as crowd mismanagement led to an overwhelming surge of people onto the field, with unauthorised individuals surrounding the football icon despite repeated announcements to clear the area.

Messi managed only a brief wave to the spectators before being escorted out within minutes under heavy security, with none of the scheduled programmes taking place. His early exit triggered anger among sections of the crowd, who hurled bottles from the stands, tore down sponsor banners and threw chairs, prompting security intervention and leaving the stadium in disarray.