New Delhi: The stir that took place during Lionel Messi’s program organized at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata has become a topic of discussion across the country. Thousands of fans showed up to see their favorite football star, but the event ended relatively quickly.

Angry fans vandalized the stadium and threw bottles. After this turmoil, the organizer Satadru Dutta was arrested by the police. Former Indian cricket captain Sunil Gavaskar has made important comments on this incident.

What happened in Kolkata?

On December 13, Messi came to Kolkata with his teammates Luis Suarez and Rodrigo de Paul. The event was said to be for two hours for the fans, but Messi was present only for 20-22 minutes.

Due to the abundance of politicians, VIPs and security personnel present in the stadium, fans could not even get a proper glimpse of Messi. The organizers kept requesting that they vacate the grounds, but to no avail.

Uproar after Messi’s departure

When Messi left early, the angry fans outside created a ruckus. They damaged stadium property. Police arrested organizer Satadru Dutta from the airport when he went to see off Messi. Many people hold politicians and VIPs responsible for this, but Gavaskar does not agree with this.

Why did Gavaskar hold Messi responsible?

Sunil Gavaskar wrote in his column that everyone is being blamed except the person who did not follow through on his promise. He says that if Messi had promised to stay on time but he left early, then the real culprit is Messi and his team.

Gavaskar said, “There was no problem from a security point of view. Messi could have easily moved around the field or taken a penalty kick. This would have allowed the VIPs to move away and the fans a chance to see their hero.”

Gavaskar reminded of Hyderabad, Mumbai and Delhi

He also mentioned that Messi’s events in Hyderabad, Mumbai and Delhi were successful without any problems. This proves that if the promises were fulfilled, everything would have been fine in Kolkata also.

Gavaskar believes that before blaming the organisers, it should be seen whether both the parties kept their promises or not. They are supporting the organizers and say it is not fair to blame Indians alone.