Kolkata, Dec. 13 -- The chaos that marked football icon Lionel Messi's visit to Kolkata has now escalated into a full-blown political confrontation, with opposition parties squarely blaming the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the state administration for what they describe as an embarrassment for Bengal on an international stage.
While the TMC has rejected the allegations, the incident has triggered sharp reactions from the BJP and the Congress, each accusing the Mamata Banerjee government of gross mismanagement and politicisation of a global event.
Former state BJP president and union Minister of State for Education and DoNER, Sukanta Majumdar, launched a scathing attack on the ruling party, alleging that the event was "hijacked" by ...