NEW DELHI: West Bengal governor C V Ananda Bose on Saturday evening said he was denied entry into Salt Lake stadium when he attempted to visit the venue hours after chaos erupted during an event featuring football legend Lionel Messi.Describing the incident as an affront to the constitutional office of the Governor, Bose sought an explanation from the authorities and said he wanted to personally inspect the site before finalising his report, reported PTI.“I never write a report without seeing the place… My report is half ready. I want to see for myself what happens in ground zero,” he told reporters outside the stadium.He said he would give the authorities “one more chance to open the gate” and added, “Is this the way Bengal treats its Governor? The Governor is not a rubber stamp,” calling the episode a “ghastly irrelevance of a constitutional authority”.Bose said he would return to the stadium on Sunday to examine the matter further. “It is not a personal affront… this is an affront to the constitutional position of the Governor,” he said, adding that any attempt to conceal facts from the constitutional head would be unacceptable. “If truth can be hidden from the Governor… maybe this is only the tip of the iceberg. I will certainly explore it to the hilt and establish the truth. ”The Governor said police had already begun an investigation and that his report would reflect “the point of view of the people who are affected”.This comes after chaos broke out at Salt Lake stadium earlier in the day as spectators resorted to vandalism, alleging mismanagement by organisers and obstruction of view by VIPs, following a brief appearance by Messi. Police arrested the event’s prime organiser, Satadru Datta, while chief minister Mamata Banerjee announced the formation of a high-level inquiry committee.Earlier in the day, Bose had termed the incident a “dark day for the sports-loving people of Kolkata” and directed the state government to arrest the organiser. He also blamed the police for failing the government, the people and the chief minister.According to a Lok Bhavan official, the Governor was disturbed by reports that the chief minister, who was scheduled to meet Messi, had to turn back midway due to the disorder.Bose demanded refunds for ticket-holders, compensation for damage to public property, suspension of police officers who failed to take preventive measures, and the framing of a standard operating procedure for large events. He also questioned how “Messi was made a commodity” and called for stringent legal action against the organisers.
