North 24 Parganas (West Bengal) [India], April 26 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday criticised the Trinamool Congress over the handling of Argentine football superstar Lionel Messi's visit to Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium last year.
He attributed the mismanagement of the event to what he described as the TMC's "Maha Jungle Raj" adding that the ruling party here has damaged the state's sports culture.
"The TMC syndicate has destroyed the sports ecosystem here. In Kolkata, just a few months ago, what happened, the pictures that reached all the football fans around the world, it was the result of the Maha Jungleraj. I assure players of Bengal that under the 'Khelo India' campaign, a new sports ecosystem will be created in Bengal," PM Modi said while assuring people here that "BJP will give a new boost to Bengal's sports culture."

The controversy erupted after Messi's Kolkata appearance, the first stop of the GOAT India Tour 2025, descended into chaos, with fans alleging that VIPs and politicians crowded the pitch, preventing spectators from getting a clear view of the football icon.

Angry fans vandalised parts of the stadium, accusing organisers of poor planning and mismanagement. West Bengal Sports Minister Aroop Biswas resigned from his post following the chaos that erupted during Footballer Messi's GOAT India Tour in Kolkata. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accepted Biswas' resignation
Messi later completed the remaining legs of his India tour, visiting Hyderabad, Mumbai and Delhi, before departing from Jamnagar after a stop at the Vantara animal sanctuary.