Chaos broke out at Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium on Saturday after thousands of fans began throwing chairs, breaking seats, and ripping down banners when they failed to get a glimpse of Argentine football icon Lionel Messi, who was on an India tour. Several videos showing the unrest among fans who had paid for tickets to attend the event continue to surface on social media.

Industrialist Harsh Goenka commented on the backlash against the event’s organiser. Goenka questioned the presence of politicians around the GOAT football player . “Why are politicians surrounding Messi, while fans and fellow sportspersons watch from afar? Is it because stadiums, police, permissions and logistics are state-controlled? Probably yes. And that tells you everything about the state of sports in India,” he w

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