Following the chaos of Messi G.O.A.T India Tour in Yuva Bharati stadium, DG Rajeev Kumar has been showcaused by the Chief Minister’s inquiry committee.
Chaos erupted at Yuva Bharati Stadium on Saturday in Kolkata as Messi came for the G.O.A.T. India Tour. Irate fans who were disappointed with the scarce view of the football star wreaked havoc on the stadium. There were complaints from viewers that VIPs crowded the star, and no one was able to witness the star, despite holding tickets to the event. The further unrest escalated when Messi left the field.
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Issues with security and crowd control
There were reportedly grave concerns expressed about the open presence of strangers around football idol Lionel Messi. Reporters, journalists, and others said to be “unwanted celebrities” were reportedly given free entry to no-go areas without adequate clearance.
TMC defends DG, cites ‘raj dharma’
Reacting to this, TMC spokesperson Arup Chakraborty told News Ei Samay that there is no doubt about Rajeev Kumar’s professional competence.
“Rajeev Kumar is a highly skilled and experienced police officer. His intelligence is enviable among police officers across the country, and there is no question about his professional competence,” Chakraborty said.
He stated that although the situation is quite unfortunate, the Chief Minister values the aspects of governance over any other preference for the location.
“Despite Rajeev Kumar being a police officer favoured by the Chief Minister, she did not place personal preference above responsibility. She upheld raj dharma, the duty of governance,” he said.
Opposition calls move ‘diversionary tactic’
Senior CPI(M) leader Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya questioned the timing and motive of this show-cause notice. “This is a political performance,” he said.
“The Chief Minister is doing all this now to divert and cover up the anger of the public. After a couple of days, everyone will be brought back with due respect and will have been reinstated with their former powers," he said.
Keeping the same tone, BJP spokesperson Avra Sen launched a sharp attack, accusing the Chief Minister of indulging in political theatrics. “Was it not the same DG for whom she held a sit-down protest? And now the same DG is being show-caused?”, he said.
He also claimed that the TMC leaders had themselves created the unrest, adding that TMC is "delivering lofty speeches while being solely responsible for the mayhem.”