New Delhi, May 27 (IANS) No one, including the living legend Lionel Messi, could have imagined that a Trinamool Congress leader would accord the GOAT of football a tribute in the form of a giant statue which would stand tall only till the Mamata Banerjee-led government was in office.

A coincidence, definitely, but lately, the 64-foot-tall statue in Kolkata’s Lake Town has been under scrutiny due to reports of it swaying in the wind. This has raised safety concerns among local residents, who fear the statue could collapse and cause accidents, especially given its location near a busy intersection.

Authorities have conducted inspections and found structural deficiencies, leading to discussions about the statue’s removal or reinforcement to ensure public safety, according to media reports. The statue, unveiled during Messi’s visit to India in December, became a major attraction for football fans in Kolkata, but its current condition has sparked significant concern and debate.

The statue was installed by a former minister in the Trinamool regime, Sujit Bose. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ended the uninterrupted 15-year Trinamool rule this year with an overwhelming mandate. Incidentally, the ED recently took Bose in custody in connection with an alleged municipal recruitment scam.

“Perhaps one reason for Mamata Banerjee’s loss was that she let Messi’s statue become a public safety hazard,” quipped a Lake Town resident on the phone when asked about the current state of the reported “swaying”. He simultaneously termed the sight as the portrayal of a “wobbly regime”.

Football fever swept Kolkata when the legend arrived as part of his “GOAT India Tour”. But chaos erupted at the stadium when Messi made an appearance, with fans venting frustration with vandalism, reportedly against poor management and excessive VIP access that blocked even a glimpse of the Argentine striker.

Messi was accompanied by Inter Miami teammates Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul at the event. A large number of VIPs and officials crowded particularly around Messi, covering him from the fans’ view. Messi was said to have exited earlier than scheduled, leading to an outpour of frustration and anger from the crowd.

Fans erupted in anger, crowds swelled in the streets, and chaos reigned at the Salt Lake Stadium when seats were ripped up, and the pitch was trashed after fans couldn’t even catch a 10-minute glimpse of the legend.

West Bengal’s then Chief Minister stated she was “deeply disturbed and shocked”. But the true symbol of Messi mania was not the chaos; it was the statue, though wobbly now. Meant to be Kolkata’s eternal tribute to the football legend, it stands at the time of writing tied in ropes in a desperate attempt to keep it from falling, causing a possible accident.

Public work officials have reportedly found that screws in the “primary framework” had come loose, and the structure was in such poor condition that it could collapse. The Lake Town police station received a formal complaint, and a meeting was called by the South Dum Dum Municipality executive officer. Now the question among Messi-lovers is: how to resurrect the statue?

Meanwhile, Trinamool’s poll defeat is being inexplicably linked to the wobbly Messi statue. The fact is that it was so poorly engineered that it threatens to crush pedestrians and is being portrayed as a metaphor for the party’s governance – grand gestures, zero structural integrity.

The state’s new Sports Minister, Nisith Pramanik, has reportedly said his government will take action against those responsible for the chaos during Messi’s December visit to Kolkata and also promised to refund the money that fans paid to catch a glimpse of their hero but failed.

–IANS

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